A.

Legislative Authority. The City Council is authorized to regulate vehicular access to or from any public street within the City in order to protect the public health, safety and welfare, to maintain efficient traffic flow, to maintain proper street right-of-way drainage and to protect the functional levels of public streets. The City Council is also authorized to prohibit anyone from causing or permitting a street to become obstructed or damaged in any way, or permitting water, waste water or other substance from any ditch, lateral, canal, reservoir, rain or flume or other artificial course to flow across such a street.

B.

Design Specifications. All streets within the City shall be constructed in accordance with the latest version of the City of Fruita Design Criteria and Construction Specifications Manual.

C.

Roadway Classifications. The public street systems within the City consist of four (4) roadway classifications as defined in the Fruita Area Street Classifications & Traffic Control Plan document. These four (4) roadway classifications include arterial, major collector, minor collector, and local street designations. Alternate street sections for minor collector and local streets internal to a subdivision will be considered but should meet the minimum lane widths identified in the City of Fruita Design Criteria and Construction Specifications Manual.

D.

Permits Required.

1.

An excavation and right-of-way permit, issued by the City, is required for all work within a City right-of-way, including alleys, and for all work adjacent to a City right-of-way where use of the right-of-way is needed for construction vehicles, staging of materials, or safety barricades. For the purposes of this section, work is defined as the installation, modification, or repair to any utilities, pavement, curb, gutter, sidewalk, or any alteration of the ground surface within or adjacent to the public right-of-way for the purposeof installing any improvement which will affect drainage patterns or sight distances. The requirements of this section apply to all projects or construction, and to all individuals and entities, including utility companies which may hold a franchise from the City. A performance bond or other security approved by the City may be required to ensure conformance with permit provisions. Engineered plans prepared by a Colorado registered professional engineer may also be required. All construction shall be in accordance with plans, specifications and details approved by the City. Approved permits shall not be changed without the written consent of the City.

2.

Exceptions. The following work and/or projects are exempt from the permit requirements of this chapter:

a.

City capital improvement projects for which construction drawings have been issued and approved by the City and for which a project specific traffic control plan has been approved by the City.

b.

Work performed in or adjacent to a County, State, or federal, right-of-way shall obtain applicable permits from the appropriate governing agency.

E.

Street Maintenance—Notice. The City shall not be responsible for the maintenance of public streets in new subdivisions and developments until the street improvements are approved and accepted by the City. In the event such street improvements have not been accepted, the City may post at all entrances to the subdivision or other development a sign which states: "Notice: Streets within this subdivision have not been accepted by the City for maintenance."

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)

Construction of private streets within the City are not preferred and shall be considered on an individual basis. Private streets shall be subject to the same process and design standards for a public street. Private streets will not be maintained by the City.

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)

Basic considerations in the design of local circulation systems shall recognize the following factors: (1) safety for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic; (2) efficiency of service for all users; (3) liability especially as affected by traffic elements in the circulation system; and (4) economy of both construction and the use of land. Design of streets should minimize maintenance costs.

Each of the following principles is an elaboration on one (1) or more of these four (4) factors. The principles are not intended as absolute criteria since instances may appear where certain principles conflict. The principles should, therefore, be used as guides to proper systems layout.

A.

Ensure Vehicular and Pedestrian Access and Provide Utility Access. The primary function of local streets is to serve abutting properties. Street widths, placement of sidewalks, patterns of streets and the number of intersections are related to safe and efficient access to abutting lands.

B.

Control Access to Collectors and Arterials. Local circulation systems and land development patterns should not detract from the efficiency of peripheral collector and arterial streets. Ideally, land development should occur so that no lots require direct access to collector or arterial routes. The number of access points between the local circulation system and the arterial system should be minimized. Intersections along collector and arterial routes should be properly spaced for efficient signalization and traffic flow.

C.

Discourage Speeding. Residential streets should be designed to discourage fast movement of vehicular traffic and incorporate traffic calming measures where appropriate.

D.

Interconnectivity. All developments should be planned to provide both vehicle and pedestrian/bicycle connectivity to adjacent undeveloped properties and to the existing circulation system. Wherever possible, street stubs to adjacent parcels, and connections for pedestrian/bicycle paths shall be incorporated into the design of the development.

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)

In addition to the planning principles outlined in Section 17.41.030, the minimum requirements of this section shall apply to the design of new streets. Additional specific requirements can also be found in the Mesa County Standard Specification for Road and Bridge Construction. Where conflicts exist between this section and provisions of the Mesa County Standard Specification for Road and Bridge Construction, the provisions of this Section shall apply.

A.

Development Access. Any development exceeding two hundred fifty (250) average daily trips (ADT) or twenty-five (25) units shall have a minimum of two (2) fully platted ingress/egress points (dedicated rights-of-way), or one (1) fully platted ingress/egress point plus a secondary access point for emergency vehicles. Any development exceeding three hundred fifty (350) ADT or thirty-five (35) units shall have a minimum of two (2) fully platted ingress/egress points. Any development exceeding seven hundred fifty (750) ADT or seventy-five (75) units shall have a minimum of three (3) fully platted ingress/egress points.

B.

Phased Developments. For phased developments, secondary access shall be installed at or prior to the time at which the total number of units served by a single access exceeds twenty-five (25) units.

C.

Courts and Culs-de-Sac. A cul-de-sac shall not exceed two hundred fifty (250) ADT and in no case should its length exceed six hundred (600) feet, unless a secondary emergency access is provided, in which case the cul-de-sac length may be increased to one thousand (1,000) feet. Dead end streets or culs-de-sac without bulbs shall not be permitted. Streets provided or designed for future connection to adjacent areas shall be improved. Such connections which provide access to structures shall have dedicated culs-de-sac. A cul-de-sac bulb which may be vacated in the future shall be improved to paved standards if access is provided to dwellings or other structures. Cul-de-sac bulbs not providing access to dwellings or other structures shall be improved with a gravel surface and barricades may be required.

D.

Street Stubs. Proposed street stubs to adjacent undeveloped property may be considered in meeting the requirements of Subsections B and C of this section. The City Council shall have sole discretion to make this determination based on a consideration of current information pertaining to the potential and timing of the development of adjacent parcels.

E.

Urban and Rural Street Sections Based on Lot Size. Urban street sections, which include concrete curb and gutter, and either detached or attached sidewalks on both sides, are required in all residential and commercial developments serviced by public streets, wherein the minimum lot size in the development is less than two (2) acres. For residential developments wherein the minimum lot size in the development is equal to or greater than one-half (½) acre, the sidewalk on one (1) side of the street may be deleted at the discretion of the City Council. Rural street sections without curb and gutter, or sidewalks, are allowed only in developments having a minimum lot size of two (2) acres or greater.

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)

In order to qualify as access to property within the City, a street shall be one (1) of the following:

A.

Public Maintained Street. A public street maintained by the City, the Colorado Department of Transportation (C.D.O.T.) or other public agencies. All new driveways or other access points to a public street shall be designed in accordance with the Fruita Design Criteria and Construction Specifications.

B.

Private Street Not Maintained by a Public Agency. Such a street shall be constructed according to the provisions of this chapter and shall be owned by a homeowners association or other private entity that will take responsibility for maintenance. A maintenance waiver shall be signed by all lot owners accessing the street acknowledging that the City does not maintain the street, and will be recorded by the City in the records of the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder. The right-of-way widths and level of improvement of such street shall be the same as that of a public street.

C.

Shared Drives. The level of improvements required for shared driveways shall be designed according to the following guidelines.

1.

Widths of Shared Drives.

a.

Less than twenty (20) feet: A maximum density of two (2) units will be allowed on the shared driveway. Minimum improved travel surface roadway width shall be considered on an individual basis.

b.

Twenty (20) feet to twenty-six (26) feet: A maximum density of four (4) units will be allowed on the shared driveway. Minimum improved travel surface roadway width of eighteen (18) feet.

2.

Access Requirements. The access requirements for shared driveways are:

a.

Garages and other parking facilities accessing shared driveways shall be located on the lot in such a manner that movement into or out of the garage or parking area will not encroach on adjacent private property or parking areas.

b.

No parking is allowed on shared driveways. For all lots accessing from a shared driveway, one (1) additional off-street car parking space must be provided.

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)

A.

Purpose. The lack of adequate access management to the City's street system and the proliferation of driveways and other access approaches can become a major contributor to traffic accidents and a major factor contributing to the functional deterioration of City streets. As new access approaches are constructed, the traffic speed and capacity of streets decrease, while congestion and hazards to the traveling public increase. As a result, significant amounts of tax dollars can be spent to improve City streets and provide additional operational capacity and safety.

The objective of these standards is to both maintain safety and preserve street capacity while at the same time allowing accessibility to adjacent land uses, in a manner consistent with the functional classifications of roads.

B.

Standards.

1.

In all areas where curb and gutter are provided, all driveways accessing single-family building lots shall conform to the standard construction details published by the City. In areas where curb and gutter are not provided, all driveways shall have a minimum surface width of eighteen (18) feet at the edge of pavement, or drive surface, and taper to a minimum surface width of twelve (12) feet at a distance of six (6) feet from the edge of the drive and maintain this surface width to the edge of the City street or right-of-way.

2.

A paved surface with a minimum of twelve (12) feet in width shall be available to fire, ambulance and police vehicles to within one hundred (100) feet of the principal entrances to all principal buildings.

3.

In the Rural Estate (RE) and Agricultural Residential (AR) zones for lots three (3) acres in size or larger, access surfacing material outside of the public right-of-way may be six (6) inches Class 6 aggregate base course, or other material such as recycled asphalt, so long as the surfacing material is treated to maintain a dust free condition.

4.

The maximum total width of access(s) serving any one (1) parcel shall be limited to thirty-two (32) feet.

5.

Access grades may not exceed ten (10) percent. The grade of the entrance and exit shall slope downward and away from the street surface at the same rate as the normal cross slope and for a distance equal to the width of the shoulder, but in no case less than ten (10) feet from the pavement edge.

6.

All driveways and approaches shall be constructed so that they do not interfere with the drainage system of the public street or highway. The applicant will be required to provide, at its own expense, drainage structures at entrances and exits which will become an integral part of the existing drainage system. The dimensions of all drainage structures shall be approved by the City prior to installation.

7.

No more than one (1) access shall be allowed to any parcel or lot having an area of one (1) acre or less. Additional accesses to parcels or lots having an area of greater than one (1) acre shall be subject to all of the provisions of Chapter 17.03 and this Chapter 17.41.

8.

An access approach that has a gate across it shall be designed so that the longest vehicle using it can completely clear the traveled way of the public street when the gate is closed.

9.

A parcel or lot fronting on two (2) public streets with identical functional classifications shall take access from the street with the lowest twenty (20) year projected traffic volume. Residential lots fronting on two (2) local roads do not necessarily have to take access from the street with the lowest twenty (20) year projected traffic volume.

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)

A.

Private Direct Access. Private direct access to arterials is discouraged. Private direct access to such arterial streets shall be permitted only when the property in question has no other reasonable access to the City's street system. When direct access is necessary, the following shall be required:

1.

Access shall continue until such time that some other reasonable access to a lower functional category street is available and permitted. Access permits issued by the City or by the Colorado Department of Transportation shall specify the future reasonable access location and, if known, the date the change will be made. This provision shall not be construed as guaranteeing a public street access. Subdivisions of land shall make provisions for all parcels or lots in the area to have access to a lower functional classification street in the future. Back-out driveways shall not be allowed.

2.

No more than one (1) access approach shall be provided to an individual parcel or to contiguous parcels or lots under the same ownership unless it can be shown that additional accesses would be significantly beneficial to the safety and operation of the street or the local circulation system. Subdivision of a parcel or lot shall not result in additional access unless shown as necessary for safety or operational reasons.

3.

On two-lane arterials, access approaches may be limited to right turns only if the approach is within five hundred (500) feet, measured near curb line to near curb line, from the nearest signalized intersection. Under no circumstances may a driveway be closer than one hundred (100) feet to the curb line of the intersecting street when measured from the driveway edge nearest the intersecting street.

4.

Access approaches on multi-lane divided roads shall be limited to right turns only unless either: (1) the approach does not have the potential for signalization; or (2) it can be shown that allowing left turns would significantly reduce congestion and safety problems at a nearby intersection; or (3) there are no intersections, existing or planned, which allow a U-turn, and left turns can be safely designed without signalization; or (4) a painted median is present which allows continuous turning storage.

B.

Spacing and Signalization Shall be Considered. In areas where higher traffic volumes are present or growth is expected in the foreseeable future that will require signalization, it is imperative that the location of all public approaches be planned carefully to ensure good signal progression. An approved traffic engineering analysis shall be made to properly locate all proposed connecting access approaches that may require signalization.

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)

A.

Private Direct Access. No more than one (1) access approach shall be provided to an individual parcel/lot or to contiguous parcels/lots under the same ownership unless it can be shown that additional access approaches would not be detrimental to the safety and operation of the public street and are necessary for the safety and efficient use of the property. Back-out driveways shall not be allowed on Major Collector streets. Under no circumstances may a driveway be closer than one hundred (100) feet to the flow line or edge of the traveled way of the intersecting street when measured from the driveway edge nearest the intersecting street. Subdivision of a parcel shall not result in additional access unless shown as necessary for safety or operational reasons. Shared driveways are encouraged on all collector or larger roads to minimize access points.

B.

Spacing of Intersecting Streets. Spacing of major intersecting streets should be at one-quarter (¼) mile intervals plus or minus two hundred (200) feet. Spacing of other streets where intersection channelization improvements are not required in accordance with the Fruita Design Criteria and Construction Standards shall be at intervals no less than three hundred (300) feet, providing that reasonable access cannot be obtained from lower classification streets.

C.

Separation of Driveways. Individual driveways shall have a minimum edge to edge separation distance of one hundred (100) feet. Where the lot dimensions or the location of existing driveways prevent one hundred (100) feet separation, the minimum separation distance shall be the maximum achievable, as determined by the City Engineer on a case-by-case basis.

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)

A.

Private Direct Access. Accesses located near an intersection of two (2) local streets shall be constructed so that the edge of the access nearest the intersection is no less than fifty (50) feet from the flowline of the intersecting street. Where the intersecting street is classified as a collector or arterial, setbacks for accesses shall be no less than eighty (80) feet from the flowline of the intersecting street. All accesses are subject to the sight distance requirements of Section 17.41.090.

B.

Spacing of Intersecting Streets. Intersecting public and private streets shall be located opposing where possible or be offset by a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) feet when measured from near curb line to near curb line

C.

Separation of Driveways. Individual driveways shall have a minimum edge to edge separation distance of ten (10) feet. Driveways cannot be located closer than five (5) feet to any side property line.

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)

A.

General. Most streets intersect at grade. To minimize potential conflicts and to provide adequately for the anticipated crossing and turning vehicle movements, geometric design of the intersection at grade shall be given careful consideration. The geometric design components of all intersections, including but not limited to the location, approach radii, and sight distance, shall be designed in accordance with the design criteria and construction standards.

(Ord. 2009-02 [17.43]; Ord. 2021-21)