Chapter 148 SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT. (updated 7-28-08)

Section 148-26 STREETS.

A.  General Standards.

1.  All streets shall meet the Town Engineering Department's standards for public streets and shall be dedicated to the town of Front Royal.

2.  The proposed street system shall extend existing or recorded streets at the same width or larger, but at not less than the required minimum width as specified in this chapter. Where possible, a new intersection into an existing street shall align with an existing street intersection on the opposite side of such street.

3. The town may require the extension of dedicated street stubs to the boundary of the subdivision parcel to provide for street access to adjoining properties.

4. New local streets shall be designed to discourage through traffic. The applicant shall provide for the extension and continuation of arterial and collector streets into and from adjoining properties.

5. Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing street of improper width or alignment, upon recommendation of the Planning Commission, the Town Council shall require the dedication of land sufficient to widen the street or  correct the alignment.

      6.  All streets shall meet the design standards of the Town of Front Royal.

7. Street arrangement shall be designed to provide reasonable access to adjoining properties for street tie-ins.

8. The subdivider or developer shall provide for the widening and/or realignment of existing roads or platted proposed roads where the proposed subdivision will cause a safety or traffic problem without such widening or realignment.

9. To secure subdivision or development approval, the applicant may be required to acquire and dedicate off-site streets or to improve existing streets if, in the opinion of the town, the subdivision or development does not have safe or adequate ingress or egress.

10.  Subdividers or developers shall be required to reserve and dedicate rights-of-way for major roads and improvements to existing roads, where applicable, as shown on the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Front Royal.

B. Partial and half streets. New half or partial streets shall be prohibited excepted where essential to the reasonable subdivision of a tract otherwise in conformance with the requirements and standards of this chapter and where satisfactory assurance for dedication of the remaining part of such street is obtained.

C.  Street hierarchy and widths.

      1. Streets shall be classified in a street hierarchy system with design tailored to function.

2. Except for cul-de-sac, classification of streets shall be determined by the average daily traffic (ADT) generated by and through a subdivision or development  street as calculated by the trip generation formula  published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Washington, D.C., unless an applicant demonstrates that calculations using a different formula better reflect local conditions.

      3. Streets are classified and shall conform to the following functional levels:

a. Cul-de-sac streets:  two hundred fifty (250) or fewer ADT's, and as are further defined in Subsection H.

          b. Local streets: five hundred (500) or fewer ADT's.

          c. Collector or through streets:  five hundred one (501) to three thousand (3,000) ADT's.

          d. Arterial streets:  three thousand one (3,001) or more ADT's.

4.  The minimum width of a proposed street right-of-way, measured from lot line to lot line on either side of such right-of-way, shall be:

           a. Arterial streets:  not less than one hundred (100) feet.

           b. All collector or through streets:  not less than sixty (60) feet.

           c. Local streets and cul-de-sac:  not less than fifty (50) feet.

      5.  Alley rights-of-way shall not be less than twenty (20) feet in width.

6. Additional right-of-way and pavement widths may be required by the Planning Commission or Town Council for the purpose of promoting the public safety and convenience or to provide parking in commercial and industrial areas and in areas of high-density residential  development.

D.   Construction of streets and alleys.  The following specifications shall apply for local and collector streets within the corporate limits of Front Royal:

(Ord. 6-01 Added “alleys” 9-10-01-Effective Upon Passage)

       1.  The roadway shall be graded to the full width of the right-of-way.

2. The pavement base shall be no less than forty (40) feet in width for collector streets, thirty-two (32) feet for local and cul-de-sac streets and six (6) inches in depth for all streets and shall be of stone, gravel or other satisfactory material approved by the Town Department of Public Works.

(Ord. No. 10-00 Amended Feet from 36 to 32 6-26-00-Effective Upon Passage)

3.  Pavement width shall be a minimum of forty (40) feet for collector streets and thirty-two (32) feet for local and cul-de-sac streets.  The pavement for streets shall consist of a three-inch layer of intermediate or base asphalt covered with a one-inch layer of SM- 9.5A surface asphalt, or its current VDOT equivalent.

(Ord. No. 10-00 Amended Feet from 36 to 32 6-26-00-Effective Upon Passage)

4. All alleys shall be constructed with a minimum six (6) inch gravel base for a width of sixteen (16) feet, and with a prime, double sealed surface for a width of twelve (12) feet.

(Ord No. 6-01 Amended 9-10-01-Effective Upon-Effective Upon Passage)

       5. Where deemed necessary, the town may require boring tests, replacement of unsuitable

       subgrade materials and compaction certification of subgrade and base materials for new

       streets.

(Ord. No. 6-01 Added (5) 9-10-01-Effective Upon Passage)

E.  Restriction of access.  Whenever a proposed subdivision contains or is adjacent to a limited-access highway or Virginia State Route 55 from the Riverton intersection west and from the intersectionwith Commerce Avenue east, provision shall be made for either a service drive or for reverse  frontage lots.  A service drive shall be approximately parallel to such right-of-way at a distance suitable for an appropriate use of the land between such highway and the proposed subdivision.  Such distances shall be determined with due consideration of the minimum distance required for ingress and egress to the main thoroughfare.  The right-of-way of any highway or street projected across any railroad or limited access highway shall be of adequate width to provide for the cuts or fills required for any future separation of grades.

F.  Approach angle and alignment.  All streets shall approach each other at an angle of not less than eighty degrees (80) unless the Town shall approve a lesser angle of approach for reasons of terrain, contour or the matching of existing patterns.  Street jogs with a center-line offset of less than one hundred twenty-five (125) feet shall be avoided.

G.  Street grades.  Center-line grades for all streets shall not exceed ten percent (10%).  The grade of cul-de-sac turnarounds shall not exceed four percent (4%).

H.  Cul-de-sac and dead-end streets.

1.  Dead-end streets are prohibited unless designed as cul-de-sac streets, unless designed for future access to adjoining properties or unless created as the result of stage development in a single subdivision.

2.  Cul-de-sac streets shall be permanently designed as such, shall not exceed eight hundred (800) feet in length and shall not furnish access to more than twenty-five (25) individual lots.

3.  Any dead-end street intended for access to an adjoining property or created as the result of stage development shall be provided with a temporary all-weather turnaround within the subdivision.  Such dead-end streets shall not exceed eight hundred (800) feet in length from the center line of the nearest road intersection.

4.  Except for permanently designed cul-de-sac streets, the turnaround right-of-way of dead-end streets shall be placed adjacent to the tract on the subdivision stage boundary with sufficient additional width provided along the boundary line to permit extension of the street at full width.

5.  All dead-end and cul-de-sac streets shall be provided at the closed end with a turnaround whose minimum radius shall be forty (40) feet.

6.  Drainage of cul-de-sac streets shall preferably be designed towards the open end. If drainage is designed toward the closed end, adequate provisions shall be made for runoff to be carried away.  Drainage easements shall be required where necessary.

I.    Street signs and names.

1.  At each street intersection within or adjacent to the  proposed subdivision, one (1) street identification sign  of a design approved by the town shall be installed by and at the expense of the subdivider/developer.  Such signs shall be readable from either side.

2.  Street names shall be subject to the approval of the Town Council.  Names of existing streets shall not be changed except by approval of the Council.

3. A proposed street which is in alignment with an existing named street shall bear the name of the existing street.

4. The name of a proposed street shall not duplicate that of an existing street in the town or in the postal district.  The use of the following suffixes:  street, road, avenue, boulevard, drive, way, place, court, lane, etc., shall constitute a duplication if used after a name which is repeated after the suffix.  Names which may be confused with existing street names shall be avoided.

J.    Alleys.

1.  Alleys may be permitted, provided that the subdivider submits satisfactory evidence of need to the town.

2.  Dead-end alleys shall be avoided.  In the event that this proves impractical, dead-end alleys shall terminate with an all-weather circular turnaround having a minimum radius of forty (40) feet.

      3.  Alley intersections and sharp changes in alley alignment shall be avoided.

K.  Driveways.  Private driveways on corner lots shall be located at least forty (40) feet from the point of street intersection.

L.  Railroad crossings.  The creation of new at-grade railroad crossings shall be prohibited. Existing at-grade railroad crossings shall not be used as the primary means of access to a subdivision or development.  Where existing at-grade railroad crossings are utilized as secondary access or are included within the streets of a subdivision, the applicant  shall be responsible for providing flashing lights and short-arm gates, unless the railroad track is no longer active.