This Article provides the standards for street and access improvements by ensuring that (1) adequate municipal facilities are installed at the time of a project's development so that residents have adequate services to protect their health and safety; (2) the facilities will function efficiently and require minimum maintenance; and (3) developments are functional and internally safe to the greatest degree possible without reducing the permitted density and increasing adverse impacts on the environment and adjoining properties.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, div. 21.000), 12-31-1997)

This Division's standards apply to street and highway design and construction. All persons desiring to dedicate to public use private streets not included as part of a new subdivision or land development plan otherwise covered by this Chapter are required to prepare and submit plans to the Department for review and approval, in accordance with the procedures listed in this Division. All streets and highways intended to be dedicated to the State must also meet all DelDOT standards.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, div. 21.100), 12-31-1997)

Cross reference— Streets and roads, ch. 30.

Streets in a subdivision or land development shall be designed to achieve the following objectives:

A.

Integrate into the existing street pattern to address the area's future circulation needs.

B.

Provide a safe and convenient layout and design.

C.

Match the respective district's community character.

D.

Respect natural resources, topography, and drainage.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.110), 12-31-1997)

To coordinate vehicular access points on arterial and collector roads, the Department and DelDOT may, when development occurs in an area, develop a local circulation plan. The local circulation plan shall identify desired local or collector roads within a superblock, areas for frontage-type roads or reverse frontage, and preferred intersection locations. The local circulation plan shall be based on property maps, zoning, and environmental, topographic and alignment information. Land development plans shall conform to the local circulation plan. The following criteria shall be used in developing the local circulation plan:

A.

Collectors may provide alternative routes for traffic. Where superblocks exceed two thousand (2,000) feet, new arterial or collector alignments may be designated.

B.

Where possible, collectors shall be located on the superblock's largest parcels.

C.

Parallel access shall be used where providing individual access to small parcels would create adverse safety conditions due to frequent access on arterials or collectors.

D.

Half streets and boundary streets shall be used sparingly and only where parcel size, shape, or configuration would result in inefficient development by requiring other types of street patterns.

E.

The plan shall be sensitive to natural resources and topography.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.111), 12-31-1997; Ord. No. 18-021, § 19, 7-10-2018)

In addition to complying with all applicable DelDOT standards the following standards shall also apply:

A.

Evaluation of traffic impact shall be required; see Article 11.

B.

Where necessary, the developer shall provide acceleration/deceleration lanes along major roads, as determined by DelDOT, as well as right- and left-turn lanes and bypass lanes, depending on local conditions and the amount of traffic generated by the proposed development. Where such lanes are required, they shall be at the expense of the developer. Acceleration, deceleration, bypass, and right-turn lanes shall include space for bicycle lanes, as required by DelDOT.

C.

To ensure that adequate access for emergency vehicles is provided at all times, subdivisions or developments that contain three hundred (300) or more dwelling units shall be served by at least two (2) entrance streets located as remotely as possible from each other. Where site constraints prohibit the establishment of two (2) entrance streets, the Department, with the advice of the Office of the State Fire Marshal, may permit the subdivision or development to contain a single entrance street.

D.

Divided entrance streets having a landscaped median shall be provided in subdivisions or developments that contain one hundred fifty (150) or more dwelling units. All landscaped areas within public street rights-of-way are subject to DelDOT approval.

E.

Individual residential lots shall not have driveways that permit direct vehicular access onto new arterial or collector streets intended to serve one hundred fifty (150) or more dwelling units.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.130), 12-31-1997; Ord. No. 01-112, § 1(Exh. A), 3-12-2002)

Residential subdivisions and land developments shall be designed with sufficient internal streets capable of accommodating school bus traffic. It is not necessary that all subdivision streets meet this requirement, and a system of safe, internal pedestrian pathways connecting homes to the designated school bus route is recommended to minimize the intrusion of the bus into the neighborhoods. The Department may waive this requirement where small size or the presence of nearby stops is adequate to serve the development.

A.

To facilitate access, the designated school bus route shall incorporate a system of circular or loop streets and/or accessways which are designed to avoid the need for the school bus to back up. Where site constraints prohibit the establishment of a circular traffic pattern, a school bus turnaround must be provided at the terminus of the collector street and/or the terminus of the dead-end minor street.

B.

In subdivisions and land developments containing multiple dead-end streets and/or accessways, the location of turnaround facilities shall be determined by the Department with the advice of the local school district.

C.

The turnaround facility must be circular in design to permit the bus to maneuver through the turnaround without the need to back up.

D.

The paved cartway used by the bus to maneuver through the turnaround shall have a width of not less than fourteen (14) feet and an outside radius of not less than fifty (50) feet. The projection of parked vehicles into the minimum cartway standards shall be prohibited.

E.

All designated school bus turnaround facilities that are not designed to accommodate both buses and on-street parking shall have abovegrade signs erected to identify the street or accessway as a "school bus turnaround," and the sign shall further state that "on-street parking is prohibited."

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.131), 12-31-1997; Ord. No. 06-060, § 1(Exh. A), 9-26-2006)

Private roads shall be permitted provided the following are met:

A.

It is County policy to encourage public dedication of streets in new subdivisions and to discourage provision of private streets in such subdivisions. However, in limited situations, the Department may approve the use of private streets so long as:

1.

The private streets are made available for public use; and

2.

The development is in the Suburban Estate District or Suburban Reserve District and is a single-family or open space subdivision; or is a rural subdivision.

B.

Where appropriate, private street improvements shall meet the minimum standards for comparable public streets.

C.

A maintenance organization shall be created and shall be responsible for the maintenance of the private streets.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.140), 12-31-1997; Ord. No. 01-112, § 1(Exh. A), 3-12-2002; Ord. No. 10-113, § 1(Exh. A), 1-18-2011)

All culs-de-sac and other turnarounds, including required turnarounds on dead-end streets shall be designed to meet DelDOT standards. In circular, loop or courtyard-style culs-de-sac, landscaped central islands for open space or stormwater management shall be provided, subject to DelDOT and Fire Marshall approval. New driveways that access streets on the Highway Functional Classification Map shall have internal turnarounds pursuant to DelDOT standards.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.141), 12-31-1997; Ord. No. 01-112, § 1(Exh. A), 3-12-2002; Ord. No. 09-068, § 1(Exh. A), 11-10-2009; Ord. No. 18-021, § 20, 7-10-2018)

Residential driveways on corner lots should generally be located at least forty (40) feet from the intersection of the right-of-way lines. Design guidelines for private driveways or accessways shall comply with DelDOT standards for minimum width and curve radius.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.150), 12-31-1997)

Highways, streets, and alleys shall be improved pursuant to DelDOT standards.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.160), 12-31-1997)

Curbs shall be installed where required to provide stormwater management and drainage conveyance. Upon written Department approval, the curbs may be eliminated in areas where drainage can be conveyed directly to natural areas or approved stormwater management facilities, and where elimination of curbing will not cause increased risk to buildings, structures or homes. Curbs shall also meet DelDOT standards if the roadway is intended to be dedicated to the State.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.161), 12-31-1997; Ord. No. 18-021, § 21, 7-10-2018)

A.

Subdivision and land developments shall contain sidewalks along both sides of the interior streets and accessways. Such interior sidewalks shall connect to existing or proposed sidewalks fronting their sites. The Department may grant a modification to reduce the amount of sidewalk under the following conditions:

1.

Construction of the sidewalk in the required location will cause a significant adverse environmental impact.

2.

Where lots are one (1) acre or larger, no sidewalks are generally required. However, total traffic volume on the roads shall be reviewed. Where peak hour traffic is expected to exceed two hundred forty (240) vehicles per hour, sidewalks or other pedestrian ways may be required.

3.

Where deemed appropriate by either the Department or DelDOT, shared-use pathways, or other bicycle and pedestrian facilities, may be constructed in addition to or instead of sidewalks.

B.

In the vicinity of schools and other public facilities, the Department may require sidewalks and shared-use pathways where they would not be required by Subsection A.

C.

The Department shall have the right to require additional sidewalks, shared-use pathways and other bicycle and pedestrian facilities where necessary to provide safe, direct, and otherwise adequate pedestrian and bicycle access to surrounding neighborhoods, open spaces and public facilities.

D.

All required sidewalk, shared-use pathway and other bicycle and pedestrian facility locations and construction details, as specified by the Department, shall be identified on the record plan and landscape plan.

1.

Where required, bicycle and pedestrian facilities through open spaces shall be located such that they are not less than twenty (20) feet from the side or rear property line of an adjacent private lot or, if placed closer, buffered by an additional 0.1 opacity landscape screen.

2.

Other required landscaping (e.g., open space, on-lot or bufferyard) shall be placed adjacent to bicycle and pedestrian facilities to the greatest extent practicable.

E.

Where a public bus stop exists or is proposed, sidewalks may include a bus pad or other improvement provided at the request of and to the standards of the Delaware Transit Corporation.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.162), 12-31-1997; Ord. No. 01-112, § 1(Exh. A), 3-12-2002; Ord. No. 10-113, § 1(Exh. A), 1-18-2011; Ord. No. 18-021, § 22, 7-10-2018)

A.

A landscape buffer strip, tree pit or landscape area shall be provided between back of curb and front edge of sidewalk serving as the principal pedestrian access route or shared-use pathway along all arterial and collector streets and where deemed appropriate by the Department or DelDOT. Sidewalks and shared-use pathways are to be constructed within the right-of-way of the street, within a permanent easement, or located within open space. Required street trees shall be placed within the landscape buffer strip in accordance with Article 23.

B.

All sidewalks and shared use pathways shall be constructed to DelDOT standards unless the Department approves an alternative standard. All applicable standards shall be designated on the record plan.

C.

Where existing vegetation, topography, or other constraint dictates, the Department may require that sidewalks and shared-use pathways be located to protect resources or function in the best manner possible. This also could result in a larger right-of-way or public access easement being required.

D.

Prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy for a new dwelling unit or a building containing multiple dwelling units, the developer shall install the portion of the sidewalk identified on the record plan and located along the street or accessway abutting the dwelling unit or building.

E.

All applicable design and accessibility standards shall be referenced on the record plan.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, § 21.163), 12-31-1997; Ord. No. 01-112, § 1(Exh. A), 3-12-2002; Ord. No. 02-075, § 1(Exh. A), 10-22-2002; Ord. No. 18-021, § 23, 7-10-2018)

Direct vehicular access to public roads and highways by individual uses shall be regulated by DelDOT pursuant to its Access Management policy.

(Ord. No. 97-172, § 3(ch. 13, div. 21.200), 12-31-1997)