No street shall be accepted for ownership by the City unless such street has been constructed and at the time it is offered for dedication meets the standards set forth by the North Carolina Department of Transportation or this Ordinance, whichever is more strict; provided, however, that streets or alleys in existing subdivisions may be accepted as a part of the City's street system by resolution of the City Council. No street shall be maintained by the City until it is accepted into the City's street system.

(Ord. No. 2025-O-04, 1-14-2025)

16-2.1

In any new subdivision, the street layout shall conform to the arrangement, width, and location indicated on any official plans or maps for the City. In areas for which the City has not completed such plans, the plans of Carteret County shall be utilized. In areas where no plans have been completed, the streets shall be designed and located in proper location to existing and proposed streets, to the topography, to natural features such as streams and tree growth, to public convenience and safety, and to the proposed use of land to be served by such streets. The proposed street layout shall be made according to good land planning practice for the type of development proposed, and shall be coordinated with the street system of the City and/or with existing streets in the extra-territorial area. All streets must provide for the continuation or appropriate projection of principal streets in surrounding areas and provide reasonable means of ingress and egress for surrounding tracts.

16-2.2

All lots shall abut a public street except that lots within a Planned Development (PD) district may abut a private street or limited street. All streets other than private streets within a Planned Development (PD) district shall be offered for dedication to the public. With the exception of limited streets, all public or private streets shall be built to the standards of Morehead City or the North Carolina Department of Transportation, whichever is more strict. Limited streets shall be built to the standards in this Ordinance. Private street maintenance shall be the responsibility of the homeowner's association prior to the acceptance of dedication by the City or the state.

16-2.2.1

All private streets shall either be owned by the developer or owned in common by the homeowner's association.

16-2.3

All streets shown on the final plat shall be designated in accordance with G.S. 136-102.6 and designation of any street as "public" shall be conclusively presumed an offer of dedication to the public. Where streets are dedicated to the public but are not accepted into the municipal or state system, no lot or lots shall be sold until a disclosure of the status of the street is included with the final plat.

(Ord. No. 2022-O-15, § 5, 10-11-2022; Ord. No. 2025-O-04, 1-14-2025)

The City may require that special street access be provided as follows:

16-3.1

Industrial or commercial. An industrial or commercial subdivision may be required to provide a frontage road along U.S. and NC routes, major collectors or state secondary roads, or any road with a constructed or planned capacity of greater than five thousand (5,000) vehicles per day. Where a frontage road is required, intersections with public streets shall be spaced no closer than eight hundred (800) feet.

16-3.2

Residential. In order to reduce traffic congestion and to buffer residential property from traffic, reverse frontage lots may be required along US and NC numbered highways, major collectors or state secondary roads or any road with a constructed or planned capacity of greater than five thousand (5,000) cars per day unless the developer chooses to build a frontage road.

Where reverse frontage lots are required, access shall be permitted only to the subordinate internal subdivision street or road.

A buffer composed of at least the minimum requirements defined in Section 15-1 of this Ordinance shall be established along the higher capacity right-of-way or any required right-of-way reservations. This buffer shall not be required to extend into the site triangle of an intersection.

16-3.3

All requirements of this section shall be clearly shown upon the affected areas of the plat.

(Ord. No. 2025-O-04, 1-14-2025)

Frontage roads shall be public. Public frontage roads may be permitted within a fifty-foot right-of-way subject to the North Carolina Department of Transportation requirements or Morehead City's standards, whichever is the most restrictive.

Where, in the opinion of the Planning Board, it is necessary to provide for access to an adjoining property, proposed streets shall be extended by dedication to the boundary of such property and a temporary turnaround provided. Streets shall connect with existing streets located on adjacent property whenever possible.

Turnarounds built at stubbed out streets are considered temporary and shall be exempt from the cul-de-sac length requirements and shall be required to meet the block length requirements. The temporary turnaround shall be constructed with a fifty-foot radius and shall be paved with curb and gutter. When a temporary turnaround is removed as a result of an extension of the former stubbed out street, the land formerly part of the cul-de-sac and not needed for right-of-way shall revert to adjacent property owners. Dead-end roads shall be prohibited except when designed as cul-de-sac roads or as stubbed out streets to permit future road extension into adjoining tracts.

The design of all streets and roads within the area where this ordinance is applicable shall be in accordance with the accepted policies of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Residential subdivision roads shall be designed in accordance with the most current edition of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division of Highways' Subdivision Roads Minimum Construction Standards or Morehead City's Standards and Specifications for Streets, Sidewalks, and Drainage booklet, whichever is stricter. Nonresidential subdivision shall provide streets in accordance with the standards contained in the most current edition of the North Carolina Roads, Minimum Construction Standards booklet or the standards of Morehead City. In City standards are available at the Public Works Department.

(Ord. No. 2025-O-04, 1-14-2025)

16-7.1

Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles, and no street shall intersect any other street at an angle less than sixty (60) degrees.

16-7.2

Sight distances shall be required.

16-7.3

Offset intersections are to be avoided unless exception is granted by the Division of Highways. Intersections which cannot be aligned should be separated by a minimum length of two hundred (200) feet between survey centerlines.

16-7.4

Intersections between collector and thoroughfares shall have a distance between them of at least one thousand (1,000) feet from centerline to centerline, or more if required by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

16-7.5

On a corner lot, except in the CD and DB district, nothing shall be erected, placed, planted, or continued to exceed the height of three (3) feet, or to protrude lower than ten (10) feet, or to inhibit the visibility of a motor vehicle operator within a triangular area formed by the intersection of the right-of-way lines at two (2) points each twenty-five (25) feet from the intersection of the right-of-way lines.

Permanent dead end streets should not exceed five hundred (500) feet in length unless necessitated by topography or property accessibility and should not be permitted to be over nine hundred (900) feet long. Cul-de-sac length shall be measured from the middle point of an intersection with either a through street or another cul-de-sac to the center point of the turnaround of the cul-de-sac. Culs-de-sac shall not be used to avoid connection with an existing street or to avoid the extension of an important street. Culs-de-sac over nine hundred (900) feet in length require a variance be granted in accordance with Section 5-3 of this development regulation. In no case shall the overall length of a cul-de-sac exceed two thousand seven hundred (2,700) feet from a through street.

Proposed street names which are obviously in alignment with existing streets shall be given the same name. In assigning new names, duplications of existing names shall be avoided, and in no case shall the proposed name be phonically or confusingly similar to existing names in the county irrespective of the use of a suffix such as street, road, drive, place, court, etc. Street names shall be subject to approval of the Planning Board.

The subdivider shall be required to provide and erect street name signs and traffic control signs to City standards at all appropriate locations within the subdivision prior to any Certificate of Occupancy being issued for any lot in the subdivision. Street and traffic control signs shall be ordered through Morehead City prior to final approval.

(Ord. No. 2025-O-04, 1-14-2025)

Curbs and gutters shall be required in all subdivisions. Curb and gutter is not required to be installed in the following situations: 1) infill development of an existing street that does not have curb and gutter; 2) the addition of streets in an existing neighborhood without curb and gutter; 3) proposed streets in a Planned Development (PD) district which are proposed to be private streets not offered for dedication to the public; or 4) projects for which after reasonable due diligence by the applicant (e.g. consideration of layout adjustment, reduction in proposed buildable area, reduction in density, etc.), it has been determined that it would not be possible to receive approval of a stormwater management plan or stormwater permit exemption if curb and gutter were to be installed.

16-12.1

No alley shall be platted or recorded after June 12, 2001. An existing platted or recorded alley may only be improved in accordance with the following requirements:

(A)

Improvement of an alley shall be subject to prior approval by the Department of Public Services.

(B)

A survey of the alley's location in relation to adjacent lot lines and street rights-of-way shall be prepared and sealed by a licensed Land Surveyor and submitted to the City for review and approval prior to any construction or development activity associated with an alley.

(C)

The paved portion of the alley shall maintain the minimum width specified by the Department of Public Services.

(D)

An alley shall be paved with asphalt, concrete, or other surface approved by the Department of Public Services.

(E)

Alleys shall provide connections to each driveway along the improved portion of the alley.

16-12.2

Alleys may be utilized to provide access to off-street parking or other vehicular use areas on individual lots.

16-12.3

Sharp changes in alignment and grade shall be avoided.

16-12.4

All alleys shall be designed in accordance with City standards or as otherwise specified by the Department of Public Services.

(Ord. No. 2022-O-15, § 6, 10-11-2022; Ord. No. 2025-O-04, 1-14-2025)

16-12.20.1

Limited streets may only be developed on land zoned Planned Development (PD) that is located within the City's corporate limits, and all limited streets shall be public streets.

16-12.20.2

A limited street shall maintain a minimum pavement width of at least twenty (20) feet.

16-12.20.3

In no instance shall a limited street provide access to more than twenty-five (25) residential dwelling units. This maximum shall not be increased as part of the negotiations for establishment of a planned development district or through approval of a variance.

16-12.20.4

A limited street shall meet all applicable requirements for fire access.

16-12.20.5

Curb and gutter may be provided as part of a limited street but are not required.

16-12.20.6

Sidewalks shall not be required within or along the right-of-way associated with a limited street, but sidewalks are still required along all streets abutting the development in accordance with City requirements.

16-12.20.7

Parking of vehicles, recreational vehicles, equipment, boats, or trailers on a limited street shall be prohibited, though nothing shall limit the temporary parking of vehicles, equipment, or trailers as necessary to make repairs or provide services.

16-12.20.8

A limited street shall be free from obstructions to a height of fourteen (14) feet above the roadway surface.

16-12.20.9

Limited streets with only a single means of ingress or egress and limited streets with a dead end shall include adequate turnaround facilities at the dead end as may be required by the Department of Public Services or the Fire Department.

16-12.20.10

A limited street shall be dedicated to and accepted by the City. A development may not include a limited street that is not accepted as a public street by the City.

(Ord. No. 2022-O-15, § 6, 10-11-2022; Ord. No. 2025-O-04, 1-14-2025)

16-12.40.1

A shared driveway may provide access to individual lots occupied by single-family dwellings and their customary accessory uses in accordance with the following standards:

(A)

A shared driveway shall be subject to prior approval by the Department of Public Services and the Fire Department.

(B)

A shared driveway shall be at least twelve (12) feet wide, free from obstructions to a height of fourteen (14) feet above the driveway's surface, configured to provide access for emergency vehicles, and be surfaced with a suitable all-weather surface.

(C)

A shared driveway serving more than three (3) lots, or more than three (3) principal single-family dwellings shall be configured to meet the requirements applied to private streets.

(D)

A shared driveway shall be owned in common by all the landowners with lots served by the shared driveway, or the shared driveway shall be located within a recorded access easement in favor of each lot served by the shared driveway.

(E)

A shared driveway shall be privately maintained by the landowners owning land served by the shared driveway for as long as the shared driveway exists.

(F)

A shared driveway may be proposed as part of the development of an existing lot of record, establishment of an exempt residential subdivision, or establishment of expedited residential subdivision in accordance with NCGS § 160D-802(c), as amended. Shared driveways may not be proposed as part of an application for a major subdivision.

(Ord. No. 2022-O-15, § 6, 10-11-2022; Ord. No. 2025-O-01, 1-14-2025)

16-13.1

Sidewalk defined. Sidewalks shall be defined to include bikeways, greenways, ramps, multipurpose trails and related routes.

16-13.2

Streets in Proposed Subdivisions. Streets in proposed residential subdivisions shall be required to include sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks and wheelchair ramps on one (1) side of all proposed streets, including the street upon which the subdivision gains access, except as follows: If any street in a proposed residential subdivision is an extension of a major or minor subdivision or the street upon which the subdivision gains access is a minor or major thoroughfare, sidewalks shall be required in accordance with Subsection 16-13.3.

16-13.3

Subdivisions abutting major/minor thoroughfares and other streets as identified by the city. Subdivisions that have frontage on a major thoroughfare, minor thoroughfare as identified in the City's most current Thoroughfare Plan or other street as identified by the City shall be required to submit a sidewalk fee in accordance with Subsection 16-13.4 or install the sidewalk in accordance with Subsection 16-13.5 prior to recordation, at the discretion of Council.

16-13.4

Sidewalk fees.

(A)

Sidewalk fees shall be collected when new construction or improvements exceeding fifty (50) percent of the ad valorem tax value of existing development occurs.

(B)

Properties adjacent to existing sidewalks are exempt from sidewalk fees if sidewalks meet City standards and specifications (excluding normal wear and tear) and were constructed prior to October 1998.

(C)

Single-family residential lots with existing sidewalks are exempt from sidewalk fees.

(D)

The full payment of the sidewalk fees shall be made to the City prior to the issuance of a building permit. Failure of the payment being paid at that time or being paid in less than the full fees will not relieve the necessity of payment in full. Failure of the City to properly assess the correct fee does not relieve the applicant from being assessed the correct fee in the future.

(E)

Fees shall be based upon a lineal foot rate for sidewalks as determined by the City's Engineer. Unusual or extreme expenses for sidewalk construction shall not be included in determining the fee.

(F)

Lots fronting on major thoroughfares will be assessed based upon the total front footage of the lot. Lots fronting on minor thoroughfares or other streets as identified by the City will be assessed based upon one-half (½) of the total front footage of the lot.

(G)

The cost for sidewalk construction shall be determined by the front footage for the lot multiplied by the lineal foot rate.

(H)

Fees shall be set aside in a sidewalk fund and shall only be used by the City to construct sidewalks along thoroughfares and other streets as identified by the City as it determines to be in the public's best interest.

(I)

The City Manager may waive the fee and require sidewalks be installed when determined to be in the City's best interest.

16-13.5

Sidewalk construction.

(A)

Sidewalks shall be required on both sides of the street along major thoroughfares unless otherwise prohibited. Sidewalks shall be required along one (1) side of the street along minor thoroughfares and other identified streets.

(B)

Sidewalks shall be constructed in accordance with City standards with a minimum width of five (5) feet and in accordance with Appendix III.

(C)

All sidewalks shall be placed in the street right-of-way unless the development is platted as a planned unit or group development. In the event the sidewalk cannot be located within the right-of-way, the sidewalk shall be located parallel and immediately adjacent to the right-of-way. When necessary, the property owner shall grant the City a sidewalk easement. In locations where sidewalks have been installed on private property, easements must be granted prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy.

(D)

Any sidewalk extended or installed under the provisions of this section shall be required to submit engineered plans and specifications for review.

(E)

Construction shall be in accordance with approved engineered plans, specifications and other requirements of the City. When required encroachment agreements shall be secured before construction begins.

16-13.6

[Wheelchair ramps.] In accordance with Chapter 136, Article 2A of the North Carolina General Statutes (NCGS) 136-44-14), all street curbs being constructed or reconstructed for maintenance procedures, traffic operations, repairs, correction of utilities, or altered for any reason, shall be provided with wheelchair ramps for the physically handicapped at all intersections where both curb and gutter and sidewalks are provided and at other major points of pedestrian flow.

(Ord. No. 2025-O-04, 1-14-2025)