Warsaw City Zoning Code
§ 405.140
Subdivision Design Standards.
[Ord. No. 211 § 2, 12-21-2015; Ord. No. 527, 12-26-2023]
A.
General Purpose And Intent. The purpose and intent of these regulations is to provide for the harmonious development of the community and the surrounding area; to provide for the proper location and width of streets, building lines, open spaces, safety and recreation facilities, utilities, drainage, and for the avoidance of congestion of populations through requirements of minimum lot width, depth and area and the compatibility of design; to require and fix the extent to which and the manner in which streets shall be graded and improved and water, sewer, drainage, and other utility mains and piping or connections or other physical improvements shall be installed; and to provide for and secure the actual construction of such physical improvements.
B.
Blocks, Lots And Easements.
1.
Block length.[1]
a.
Intersecting streets (which determine block length) shall be provided at such intervals as to serve cross traffic adequately and to meet existing streets in the neighborhood.
b.
In residential districts, where no existing plats are recorded, the blocks shall not exceed one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet in length, except that a greater length may be permitted where topography or other conditions justify a departure from this maximum.
c.
In blocks longer than eight hundred (800) feet, pedestrianways and/or easements through the block may be required near the center of the block.
d.
Such pedestrianways or easements shall have a minimum width of ten (10) feet.
[1]
Editor's Note: See the Transportation Improvement Plan on file in the City offices.
2.
Block width.
a.
In residential development, the block width shall normally be sufficient to allow two (2) tiers of lots of appropriate depth.
b.
In certain instances, however, a different arrangement may be required in order to provide better circulation or to protect a major circulation route.
c.
Blocks intended for business or industrial use shall be of such width and depth as may be considered most suitable for the prospective use.
3.
Lots.
a.
Minimum lot width shall be measured at the building setback line. In addition, corner lots should have a width fifteen (15) feet greater than the minimum width.
b.
Minimum lot depth should be one hundred (100) feet. This measurement shall be made through the center of the lot and shall be perpendicular to the property line or radial to the property line on curved streets.
c.
Minimum lot area shall be subject to the zoning regulations of the district in which the subdivision is located and the minimum design standards of this regulation. The more restrictive of the regulations shall govern.
d.
All side lot lines shall bear between sixty degrees (60°) and ninety degrees (90°) from the street right-of-way line on a straight street or from the tangent of a curved street.
e.
Front building or setback shall be shown on the final plat for all lots in the subdivision and shall not be less than the setbacks established by the zoning regulations or any other regulations adopted by the Board of Aldermen; the most restrictive setback requirement shall govern.
f.
Double-frontage lots shall be avoided unless, in the opinion of the Planning and Zoning Commission, a variation to this rule will give better street alignment and lot arrangement.
g.
Every lot shall abut on a public street other than an alley.
h.
The subdivision or resubdivision of a tract or lot shall not be permitted where said subdivision or resubdivision places an existing permanent structure in violation of the requirements of the zoning regulations or the minimum design standards of these regulations.
i.
Where possible, residential lots should not be designed to face on arterial streets. The number of lots facing on collector streets shall be kept to a minimum. The street pattern shall be designed so that the side lines of lots abut arterial and collector streets wherever land shapes and topography permit.
4.
Easements.
a.
Where alleys are not provided, permanent easements of not less than ten (10) feet in width shall be provided on each side of all rear lot lines and three (3) feet in width on side lot lines, where necessary, for utility poles, wires, conduits, underground conductors, storm and sanitary sewers, gas, water and heat mains, and other public utilities.
(1)
These easements shall provide for a continuous right-of-way.
(2)
Where the utility company or agency has the need for a wider easement than required above for a specific location, this easement shall be shown on the plat.
(3)
Permanent easements shall not be obstructed by structures, retaining walls or trees.
(4)
A property owner may install fences and landscape the easement with grass and shrubs at his/her own risk.
(5)
A twelve-foot temporary construction easement shall be provided on each side of all lot lines for initial construction of water, sewer and other utility lines.
b.
Drainage easements. All stormwater management components, including stormwater drainage setbacks, shall be placed in a drainage easement following the requirements of Section 405.070, Stormwater Management and Natural Area Protection Standards, and the City of Warsaw’s stormwater management design criteria.
C.
Streets And Alleys.
1.
Relationship to adjoining street systems.
a.
The arrangement of streets in new subdivisions shall make provisions for the continuation of the principal existing streets in adjoining additions (or their proper projection where adjoining property is not subdivided) insofar as they may be necessary for public requirements.
b.
The width of such streets in new subdivisions shall be not less than the minimum street widths established herein.
c.
Alleys, when required, and street arrangements must cause no hardship to owners of adjoining property when they plat their land and seek to provide for convenient access to it.
d.
Whenever there exists a dedicated or platted half street or alley adjacent to the tract to be subdivided, the other half of the street or alley shall be platted and dedicated as a public way.
2.
Street names. Streets that are obviously in alignment with other already existing and named streets shall bear the names of the existing streets. Street names should not be similar to already platted street names.
3.
Arterial streets. Arterial streets through subdivisions shall conform to the major street plan of the Comprehensive Plan as adopted by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the governing body.
4.
Culs-de-sac. An adequate turnaround of not less than a one-hundred-foot diameter right-of-way shall be provided at the closed end of a dead-end local street longer than one (1) lot in length. Such local street segment shall not exceed five hundred (500) feet in length from the center line of an intersection of a cross street to the center of the cul-de-sac.
5.
Right-angle intersections. Under normal conditions, streets shall be laid out to intersect, as nearly as possible, at right angles. Where topography or other conditions justify a variation from the right-angle intersection, the minimum angle shall be sixty degrees (60°).
6.
Half streets. Half streets shall be prohibited, except where no lots front on such half street.
7.
Alleys.
a.
Alleys may be required in commercial, industrial and residential areas.
b.
Dead-end alleys shall be avoided, wherever possible, but if unavoidable, such alleys shall be provided with adequate turnaround facilities at the dead end.
c.
Alleys should be avoided in residential areas except where alleys of adjoining subdivisions would be closed or shutoff by failing to provide alleys in the adjoining subdivision.
8.
Street alignment. On streets with reverse curves, a reasonable tangent shall be provided between curves to permit a smooth flow of traffic.
9.
Street layout. Proposed streets shall conform to topography as nearly as possible to reduce drainage problems and grades.
10.
Minimum requirements. The right-of-way grades and widths for streets and alleys dedicated and accepted shall conform to the standardized regulations of the Kansas City Metropolitan Chapter APWA, 1997 Editions, as adopted in Section 500.050.
11.
Curbing. Curbing shall be placed on all streets within a subdivision. Curbing design shall be presented by developer for approval by the City Engineer.
D.
Required Improvements. The subdivider shall install, or provide for the installation of, the following improvements:
1.
Streets. The subdivider shall provide for the installation of paved streets. All street construction shall conform to the specifications of the Board of Aldermen, and compliance therewith shall be confirmed by the City Engineer prior to release of surety by the Board of Aldermen.
2.
Walks. Sidewalks shall be installed on both sides of all arterial and collector streets, and sidewalks shall be required on both sides of the street in a commercial district. All sidewalks shall be not less than five (5) feet in width of Portland cement concrete and shall comply with the specifications of the City Engineer. Sidewalks shall be located in the platted street right-of-way six (6) inches from the property line.
3.
Storm drainage. The subdivider shall follow the stormwater standards as listed and referenced in Section 405.070, Stormwater Management and Natural Area Protection Standards. A drainage permit is required to demonstrate compliance with stormwater management standards per Section 405.030(O), Drainage Permit.
4.
Sanitary sewers and other utilities.
a.
The subdivider shall be responsible to provide for and pay the full cost for the proper installation of all utilities, including sanitary sewer and connection to approved treatment facilities, and water supply, natural gas, electricity and telephone service. Such utilities shall be installed according to the specifications of the controlling utility company or public agency.
b.
All structures within seven hundred fifty (750) feet of a public sewer system must utilize such public system for sewage disposal. Structures further than seven hundred fifty (750) feet from an existing sewer line may use a private sewage disposal system provided that the owner of such structure can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Board of Aldermen that such private sewage system will function properly given its design, the anticipated volume of sewage and the characteristics of the site.
5.
Street signs. The City shall install street signs at all intersections within a subdivision.
6.
Permanent monuments. Permanent monuments shall be placed at all lot and block corners, angle points, point of curve in streets, and at intermediate points as required prior to the final acceptance of the plat by the City. Said permanent monuments shall be three-fourths-inch iron bars or pipe, eighteen (18) inches long, and shall be set with top of monument flush with existing ground line.
7.
Exceptions for existing improvements. Where the proposed subdivision is a resubdivision or concerns an area presently having any or all required improvements as previously set out, and where such improvements meet the requirements of this Section and are in good condition as determined by the Board of Aldermen upon its consideration of the opinion of the City Engineer, no further provision need be made by the subdivider to duplicate such improvements. However, where such existing improvements do not meet the requirements of this Code as determined by the Board of Aldermen upon its consideration of the opinion of the City Engineer, the subdivider shall provide for the repair, correction or replacement of such improvements so that all final improvements will then meet the requirements of this Code as determined by the Board of Aldermen upon its consideration of the opinion of the City Engineer.