1.

Required Access. All development shall be located on a zoning lot that has vehicular, and pedestrian access that abuts on a public street that is approved by the Town of Selma and following Town standards or State standards, where applicable, and is currently maintained by the Town or the State of North Carolina.

Nothing in the above definition of access shall be deemed to preclude the Town's authority to require improvement of substandard access ways to applicable standards.

2.

General Standards.

a)

Relationship to Town Plans: Streets, including associated bikeways, sidewalks, trails, and transit amenities, shall be arranged, designed, and located in conformance with the Land Use Plan, Thoroughfare Plan, and Street Classification Plan.

b)

Relationship to Surrounding Access Ways: Streets and sidewalks shall be arranged to and coordinated with surrounding existing and proposed roadways and transportation patterns. Roadways, and pedestrian ways shall connect where necessary to permit the convenient and safe movement of traffic. While street connections are encouraged, local connector streets should be designed to minimize their use by through traffic. If the scale of new improvements is small in relation to the amount of surrounding existing development, new improvements should be designed to blend with existing conditions wherever possible unless existing improvements are inadequate.

3.

Relationship to Arterial or Collector Roads. Where a development is proposed adjacent to an arterial or collector road, appropriate turning, storage and/or deceleration lane(s) may be required.

Where a development is proposed adjacent to an arterial or collector road that has an inadequate right-of-way, the property owner shall dedicate such right-of-way along its property as is necessary to bring the right-of-way up to standard for that portion of the arterial or collector road. (In most circumstances, it is customary to require one-half of the total right-of-way, measured from the centerline, to be required along the subject property frontage.)

4.

Arrangement of Streets. Principal vehicular access points to the development shall be designed to encourage smooth traffic flow and minimize hazards to vehicular traffic and pedestrians. Accommodation of controlled turning movements into and out of the development and improvement of the approach street should be considered where existing or anticipated heavy traffic flows indicate need. Safe and convenient vehicular access and traffic flow shall be provided for emergency, school and service vehicles.

Subdivisions and all other developments located on an arterial or collector road shall be so designed so that no subdivided lot shall have a direct individual driveway access onto an arterial or collector road unless it can be determined that the proposed subdivision cannot be feasibly designed, or that no reasonable alternative exists, to prohibit direct driveway access onto an arterial or collector street.

5.

Roadway Design. The arrangement, character, extent, width, grade and location of all roadways should be designed in relation to existing and proposed transportation patterns, topographical and other natural features, public convenience and safety, and proposed uses of lands to be served by such roadways and existing and potential uses in adjoining areas. All streets are required to be built to Town standards to ensure that fire, rescue, refuse collection and other utility vehicles will have adequate access. If the refuse collection access exceeds a grade of 15% or a length of one-hundred fifty feet (150') on any newly proposed lot the developer should contact the Town of Selma Public Works Department to determine if an alternative receptacle location can be determined that would permit residential refuse collection.

6.

Appropriate Speed. Local streets should be designed to discourage excessive vehicular speeds. Traffic calming techniques are encouraged whenever practical and appropriate, including curved and/or narrow streets, offsets at intersections, traffic islands, chokers, raised crosswalks, speed humps, traffic circles, chicanes, etc.

7.

Vertical Alignment. Streets should be designed to provide gradual grade changes and to avoid a "roller-coaster" effect. Where possible streets should be designed to avoid deep cuts and fills.

8.

Horizontal Alignment. Streets should be designed to provide long curves and to avoid sharp curves at the end(s) of straight sections or flat curves. Compound curves and "S" curves are to be avoided.

9.

Barriers. Physical barriers (such as guardrails) should be provided along roadway edges and in medians where warranted due to potential roadway safety hazards such as structures, embankments, ditches, or bodies of water Guardrails shall be constructed within the right-of-way wherever the Town Manager determines that guardrails are necessary for public safety.

Reflectorized barriers shall be installed at the end of pavement on all streets which are temporarily dead-ended or where "T" turnarounds are constructed.

10.

Intersections. Intersections of streets should be designed to minimize the number of potential conflicts among vehicular movements; to give preference to the heaviest and fastest traffic flows; to coordinate the location and alignment of driveways; to discourage dangerous vehicular movements; to avoid multiple and compound merging and diverging maneuvers; and to provide adequate sight distances.

11.

Sight Line Triangles at Intersections. Sight line triangles at intersections should be designed to assure adequate visibility for vehicles and pedestrian using the intersection. Signs, trees, shrubs, etc. should not interfere with these sight lines. The property owner shall dedicate sight line easements as necessary (including driveways serving non-residential and multi-family developments).

12.

Dead-End Streets. Street designed to be permanently dead-end shall terminate in a turnaround of adequate size to accommodate vehicles expected to use the street. Streets designed to be dead-end temporarily (such as in a phased development or where a street is to be extended) can terminate in a paved circular turnaround or a paved "T" turnaround. Under special circumstances, a "T" turnaround may be acceptable as a permanent improvement.

A separate, pole mounted "Dead End" sign shall be placed at the closest intersection to the dead end. Also, temporary dead end streets expected to be extended in the future shall include a sign located at the temporary dead-end stating "This Roadway is Subject to Future Extension."

Based on the results of soils investigations, previously observed conditions, and/or conditions encountered in the field; additional requirements for street construction may include increased pavement and/or base thickness, dewatering drain systems, excavation of unsuitable materials, installation of geotextile materials, and other enhancements as may be deemed necessary to assure that streets will not experience premature failure. The use of the curb and gutter section for street development has been determined to require the least amount of grading, clearing, right-of-way, and maintenance of all alternative roadway sections. Therefore, to preserve the natural environment and to minimize erosion and sedimentation, the Town will typically require the use of curb and gutter roadway section except as noted in the paragraph below. In areas where poor subsoil drainage and periodic flooding is determined to be a problem by the Town Manager, the developer may be required to use a roadside swale-type street construction. If curb and gutter is deleted, additional right of way may be required. Roll-type curbs may be considered under certain conditions on local streets, subject to submittal of technical support data and justification for approval by the Town Manager.

13.

Phased Completion of Streets. The Developer shall synchronize the probable completion of houses or other building construction with the completion of the streets serving those buildings. The intent is to prevent unreasonable inconvenience to the building occupants from dust, mud, or hazardous conditions and to avoid unsightly appearance along the access to these buildings.

In all cases, streets will be accepted on as provided in the following three Sections: 17-608 Authorizing Use or Occupancy Before Completion of Development Under a Certificate of Zoning Compliance; 17-657 Protection Against Defects and 17-658 Maintenance of Dedicated Areas Until Acceptance.

In all cases where construction is not completed, the developer will provide a performance bond until the streets are accepted by the City or NC DOT for maintenance.

14.

Grassing Within Rights-of-Way. All portions of the roadway, including medians, remaining unpaved shall be grassed in accordance with Town specifications. Grass shall be installed in all rights-of-way at a time determined by the Town Manager, providing, however, that it shall be installed and established prior to the release of the performance bond.

All work herein referred to shall be maintained in accordance with Appendix B and shall be kept at a height no greater than six (6) inches (except on embankments) until the roadway has been accepted by the Town Council and the improvement bond has been released.

15.

Traffic Control Devices. Where warranted to ensure motorist, or pedestrian safety and/or to control vehicular and pedestrian traffic; traffic signals, signs, and markings shall be provided in accord with the standards set forth in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways. Installation of all traffic devices shall be approved by the Town Manager (or his designee), and the North Carolina Department of Transportation where applicable.

16.

Extension and Completion of Access Ways.

a)

Extension to Boundaries. Streets, and pedestrian ways to be extended onto adjacent property or into subsequent approved phase(s) of a single development shall be constructed to the common property line or phase boundary. Where necessary to facilitate traffic flow or accommodate emergency vehicles, a temporary turnaround may be required at the end of a street pending its extension.

b)

Improvement of Substandard Access Ways. Where a development impacts, abuts or contains an existing street, bikeway, or pedestrian way that provides required access but does not meet the standards contained herein, improvement of such access way to applicable standards may be required if the development is expected to increase traffic volume and/or affect the capacity of the existing facility. Partial width access ways are prohibited and abutting existing partial width access ways shall be completed to applicable standards.

17.

Public and Private Access Ways.

a)

Public Access Ways. Public access ways are streets, bikeways, and pedestrian ways (greenways) located within publicly dedicated rights-of-way or easements and accepted for maintenance by the Town of Selma or the State of North Carolina. Public access ways shall not be accepted for maintenance unless they meet all applicable standards.

b)

Private Access Ways Providing Required Access. Private access ways are bikeways, and pedestrian ways (greenways) other than the above. Where private access ways provide required access, they shall meet all applicable standards. Provision for their continued maintenance shall be approved by the Town Manager and recorded with the County Register of Deeds in a legally valid and binding instrument that describes the properties, which the private access way serves, and which runs with the land. The maintenance agreement shall apply to all properties, which the private access ways serve.

18.

Names, Identification and Addresses for Public Streets.

a)

Street Names - Names of streets shall reflect the continuity of streets (i.e., that a proposed street obviously in alignment with an existing street or planned as a continuation of an existing street be given the same name as the existing street) and shall be neither wholly or partially duplicative nor phonetically similar to the name of an existing street within the County.

b)

Street Identification Signs - Street identification signs shall be provided at all street intersections as part of street construction. The location and design of street identification signs shall be approved by the Town Manager as in accord with the standards set forth in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Street and Highways. The developer may purchase these signs from the Town and may have the Town install them with reimbursement.

c)

Street Addresses - Street addresses are assigned to properties by the Town Manager. Street identification signs shall include assigned block numbers in addition to street names.

19.

Minimum Street Elevations. Minimum Elevations for crown of major and minor arterial pavements shall be two (2') feet above the one hundred (100) year flood elevation as shown in the FEMA Flood Boundary and Floodway Maps and Flood Insurance Report.

20.

Guardrails and Barriers.

a)

Guardrails shall be constructed within the right-of-way wherever the Town Manager determines that guardrails are necessary for the protection of the public.

b)

Reflectorized barriers shall be installed at the end of pavement on all streets or drives which are temporarily dead-ended or when a "T" turnaround is installed. The type(s) of barrier required will be as necessary for public safety and shall be determined by the Town Manager.

21.

Street Classifications and Geometric Standards.

Introduction and Purpose. Street classifications and geometric design standards are outlined in the following Table 1 and Table 2. Information regarding existing streets and their classifications is available in the Selma Planning Department. All streets within the Town limits are classified primarily by function and/or operational characteristics, rather than by specific geometric criteria.

The street design standards represent specific interpretations of the general intentions embodied in the Selma Unified Development Ordinance. Because the terrain of Selma varies from level to hilly, the standards have been written as broadly as possible. The notion of limiting cut and fill within the limits of public safety has been important in developing these standards.

The conscientious designer may occasionally find that street design in specific areas could be better accomplished in a manner, which does not coincide with every standard in Table 1 and/or Table 2. In such cases, the Town Manager will consider justification that strict adherence to all standards would create significantly undesirable conditions and/or that deviation from the standards would produce a significantly better improvement. Similarly, the Town Manager may not allow the use of every standard if public safety considerations dictate otherwise under specific conditions.

The standards in Table 1 and Table 2 are presumptive. They are intended to be valid in most cases, but it is understood that the public good may be better served in certain unique situations by allowing some flexibility in the standards. New streets should be designed in a manner that balances functional and safety needs with the objective of preserving as much of the existing terrain and vegetation as is practicable.

Street Classifications. Streets in Selma are classified by their functional relationship to through-traffic service and land-access service. The three street classifications are:

a)

Arterial. Arterial streets function primarily to serve through-traffic movement. Limited land-access service may be accommodated, but traffic controls and street design are intended to provide efficient through-traffic movement.

b)

Collector. Collector streets penetrate neighborhoods, public service areas, and districts. They are intended to provide both through-traffic and land-access services in relatively equal proportions, often linking the local street system to the arterial street system.

c)

Local. Local streets primarily serve land-access functions. They are intended to accommodate land parcel ingress and egress. Through-traffic movement is difficult and discouraged by traffic controls and street design.

The relationship between functional street classifications is a continuous one, without specific clear-cut boundaries. Streets are classified by the Town Engineer based on technical judgment and observed function of the street.

Some existing streets are classified. They are shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1: STREET CLASSIFICATIONS

All other existing public streets, not included above in the Arterial and Collector street list, are classified as local streets.

TABLE 2. MINIMUM STREET CLASSIFICATIONS and DIMENSIONS

Notes to Table of Street Standards

(1)

The number of travel lanes necessary for each street classification may vary depending on traffic volumes.

(2)

Intersection spacing is measured along centerline of street between the v=centerline of intersecting streets.

(3)

Measured between the closest edges of driveway connections and intersecting roadways. Additional spacing may be required by the Planning Director under special conditions.

(4)

Non-residential uses may be restricted access to local streets under special circumstances if alternative access is possible.

(5)

Driveway spacing may be reduced in Planned Unit Developments.

(6)

Or as specified by the North Carolina Department of Transportation as appropriate.

TABLE 3. MINIMUM STREET CLASSIFICATIONS and DIMENSIONS SIDEWALK CHART

Sidewalks may be omitted on one side of new streets where that side clearly cannot be developed and where there are no existing or anticipated uses that would generate pedestrian traffic.

Where there are service roads, the sidewalk adjacent to the main road may be eliminated and replaced by a sidewalk adjacent to the service road on the side away from the main road. For rural roads, a shoulder of at least 4 feet in width, preferably 8 feet on primary highways should be provided. Surface material should provide a stable, mud-free walking surface.