Huntington City Zoning Code

The minimum area and dimensions of all lots shall conform to the requirements of the zone district in which the lot is located.

All lots or parcels created by a subdivision shall have direct access with frontage on a dedicated street improved to standards hereinafter required. Private streets shall be permitted only as recommended by the planning commission. Land designated as public right-of-way shall be separate and distinct from lots adjoining such right-of-way and shall not be included in the area of such lots.

All subdivisions shall result in the creation of lots that are developable and capable of being built upon. A subdivision shall not create lots and no building permit shall be issued for any lots that would make building or access impractical due to size, shape, steepness of terrain, location of watercourses, problems of sewerage or driveway grades, or other physical conditions, except where such lots are suitable and dedicated for a common open space, private utility or public purpose as determined by the planning commission.

The side lines of all lots, so far as possible, shall be at right angles to each street on which the lot faces, or approximately radial to the center of curvatures. Exceptions may be made to this requirement where considerations for solar orientation are involved.

Corner lots for residential use shall be planned wider than interior lots in order to permit conformance with the required front setback requirements of both streets.

A city boundary line shall not divide a lot. Each such boundary line shall be made on a lot line.

Lot numbers shall begin with the number "1" and shall continue consecutively through the subdivision with no omissions or duplications; no block designations shall be used.

Except as specifically authorized by this chapter, not more than one dwelling unit shall occupy any one lot.

No area needed to meet the minimum width, yard area, parking or other requirements of this chapter for a lot or building may be sold or leased away from such lot or building for the purpose of installing any kind of structure.

No portion of a lot may be cut off from another portion of a lot that has been created through a subdivision action.

The design of the development shall avoid or fully mitigate hazardous site conditions (unstable slopes, geologic faults or flood potential, etc.).

Drainage from individual lots shall be coordinated with the general storm drainage pattern for the area and shall avoid conveying to adjacent lots runoff flows higher than historic patterns. Post development flows shall be based on a 10-year 24-hour design storm if water is to be detained on site and released at a rate not exceeding the historic flow.

Any recreation facilities should be located central to all residents of the development.

All lots should have reasonable access to open space, trails, park land or recreation facilities that are set aside for either development use or use by the general public.

Access to public trails and open space abutting the property shall be provided.

Utility extensions required for future development shall be provided. All utility extensions shall be designed in conformance with the applicable city master plan. Extensions of utility systems that do not have a completed master plan shall be reviewed for size and capacity by the city designee.

Maintenance of common facilities must be accomplished through covenants and a homeowners' association, a separate maintenance agreement, or some other perpetual agreement.

The layout of lots should provide desirable settings for structures by making use of natural contours, maintaining views, affording privacy, and enhancing protection from wind, noise and vehicular traffic.

Development design should provide for efficiency in the installation and provision of all public and private utilities and services.

Water and sanitation facilities serving the development should be located within public rights of way or other specially designated rights of way for that purpose, unless otherwise recommended by the planning commission.

The design of developments and placement of buildings should preserve the natural terrain, drainage, existing topsoil, tree groupings, large individual trees and large rocks.

Natural informal landscape design should be used in Huntington City, rather than formal, geometric design.

Different types of adjacent uses both within and between developments should be buffered (separated or screened), by extensive tree planting.

Drought resistant plants and landscapes are encouraged.

Fire Standpipes: Standpipes complying with IBC may be required for all commercial and multi-residential buildings, regardless of the number of stories, if so designated by the fire district.

Fire Hydrants: Fire hydrants shall be installed in accordance with recommendations from the culinary water authority.

Provisions for Handicapped: Provisions for physically handicapped persons shall be provided in all new buildings as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Construction Debris Removal: Any building construction on sites shall provide debris removal sufficient to facilitate the regular cleanup and removal of construction debris from the site. Each site shall be cleaned and all construction debris removed on a weekly basis. Failure to comply with this ordinance, by allowing debris to accumulate on the premises, may result in the suspension of building permits, fines or such other appropriate penalties as the city council shall direct.

The arrangement of roads shall provide for the continuation of major roads between adjacent properties when the continuation is necessary for the convenient movement of traffic, emergency or maintenance vehicles, or the efficient provision of utilities.

Proposed streets shall be continuous and in alignment with existing planned or platted streets with which they are to connect.

Roads shall be designed to provide emergency access and egress for residents, occupants and emergency equipment providing width, curve radii and strength for emergency and maintenance vehicles used by or available to the city.

Where the potential traffic impacts on the existing street systems are considered to be great, or in the case of unique circumstances concerning topography or neat layout, or at the request of the city, the subdivider may be required to prepare a detailed engineering traffic study of the road system.

Proposed streets shall intersect one another as nearly at right angles as topography and other limiting factors of good design permit. "T" intersections rather than "cross" intersections shall be used wherever possible for local streets.

Where a road does not extend to the boundary of the development and its continuation is not required, its terminus should be no closer than 50 feet from the boundary.

Strips of land reserved to control or restrict access to perimeter or stubbed roads shall be utilized only where the reserve strip is deeded to and accepted by the city.

Lawful right of vehicular access must be demonstrated before the city will issue a building permit.

Intersections and switchbacks shall not exceed a 10% grade.

No public or private roadway or street shall exceed a 10% grade, except that grades up to 12% for public or private roadways and streets may be allowed by the planning commission upon review and finding that all of the following conditions are met:

Each street that is a continuation of, or an approximate continuation of, any existing dedicated street shall be given the name of such existing street. When any street forms a portion of a proposed street it shall be surveyed, opened, widened or improved and given the same name.

The names of newly created streets shall not duplicate or approximately duplicate the names of any existing streets in the city or in adjacent areas of the county.

Any named street shall also have the proper compass direction coordinate as approved by the city.

Subdividers are encouraged to conduct an investigation of local history regarding the names and references to geological and historical features located within or in close proximity to the proposed subdivision and wherever possible incorporate the historical names and references into the names and designations of streets.

No driveway shall exceed 200 feet in length and/or 12% in grade.

Driveways serving single residential dwellings shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide. Driveways serving two residential dwellings shall be a minimum of 20 feet wide. No driveway shall serve more than two residences.

Because of the dramatic visual impact of cuts, fills and retaining walls in a desert environment such as Huntington and the public safety factors that may arise with significant cuts and fills in unsuitable soils, design plans for cuts, fills and retaining walls shall conform to the following criteria and other applicable sections of this chapter:

No cuts or fills will be allowed on slopes with grades exceeding 40%.

Unretained cuts that exceed a two foot horizontal to one foot vertical slope shall not exceed three feet in height.

Unretained fills may not exceed 12 feet in height pursuant to Section 9-13-14 (Measuring Cut/Fill Heights).

No single retaining wall or retaining system may exceed 12 feet in height and/or 40 feet in length; retaining systems less than 12 feet may exceed 40 feet.

Up to three terraced cuts may be created under a terraced cuts retaining system, so long as each wall is separated by a minimum six foot setback (measured from face to face) for visual relief and re-vegetation. The total maximum height for cuts retained under a terraced retaining system shall not exceed 18 feet.

All un-retained cut and fill slopes must be naturalized and re-vegetated within one year after a certificate of occupancy is issued.

Un-retained cuts and fills should be naturalized by rounding edges, placing boulders in natural fashion and planting native plants, including trees, brush, and ground cover, to match surrounding areas. A landscape/re-vegetation plan shall be submitted to the planning commission for review with the cut/fill design plans.

No building, either residential or commercial, shall be permitted within six vertical feet and 125 horizontal feet, whichever is greater, of the existing flow line of any river, creek, stream, or other waterway, measured at right angles to the centerline of the drainage course or within any discernible floodplain, except upon the granting of a conditional use permit for such development. The vertical calculation specified herein shall be applied to the elevation of the top of a building's foundation wall.

Obtain a copy of your subdivision on a copy of the 100-year flood plain as designated by the federal emergency management agency (FEMA).

Construction: All utility connections and lines shall be installed underground. Utility service available in other parts of the city including electricity, telephone, and natural gas shall be developed in provided easements and shall extend to the property line of every lot within the subdivision. Before any installations are covered, material and service must be inspected and approved by the city's building inspector. During the construction period, temporary power poles and lines shall be allowed within the boundaries of the construction project; however, such poles and lines must be taken down within 30 days after the final certificate of occupancy for the project is granted.

Easements: All utilities shall be placed within public road rights-of-way or specific rights-of-way or easements free of legal encumbrances. Multiple use on given easements is encouraged. The final recorded plat shall note all easements.

Water: As a condition for single home or subdivision approval, the builder or subdivider shall install or cause to be installed the following improvements: