§ 19.15.060. Street standards.

A.

DSC Standards Met. In addition to the requirements of the City of El Paso Development Standards for Construction (DSC), the requirements of the street standards in this chapter shall be met.

B.

Arrangement of Streets and Conformance to the Thoroughfare Plan. Except as provided in subsection (B)(1) below, the city's adopted thoroughfare plan shall be used to determine the minimum type of roadway, the general location of the roadway, and the areas that the roadway is intended to connect as part of the platting process. For streets that are not shown on the city's thoroughfare plan, such as local residential streets, the arrangement of such streets within a subdivision shall:

1.

Conform to any plan for the neighborhood approved or adopted by the city to meet a particular situation where topographical or other conditions make continuance or conformity to existing streets impractical;

2.

Provide for future access, such as by stubbing streets for future extension, to adjacent vacant areas which will likely not have incompatible land uses; and

3.

Not conflict in any way with existing or proposed driveway openings (including those on the other side of an existing or planned median-divided arterial, in which case new streets shall align with such driveway openings such that median openings can be shared).

D.

Projections and Related Requirements. Where adjoining un-subdivided areas exist, the subdivision street arrangement shall make provision for projection of streets into such areas. Dead-end streets shall otherwise be prohibited, except where projections into un-subdivided land are necessary or where turnarounds are provided in accordance with Section 19.15.100 of this chapter. Private streets shall not be allowed to project beyond the subdivision boundary, and therefore shall not be allowed to dead-end at the subdivision boundary.

E.

Transitions of Right-of-Way Width. Wherever the right-of-way width of a residential, local, collector or arterial street must transition to a greater or lesser width, the transition shall not occur within an intersection but within the street right-of-way so that the right-of-way shall be the same on both sides of the street intersection.

F.

Lots accessing arterial streets. Where a subdivision abuts or contains an existing or proposed arterial street, the city manager, or designee may require that single-family lots shall not directly access an existing or proposed arterial and no residential lot frontage, other than the side of the lot with no access, shall be allowed on arterial streets, except where the proposed subdivision meets one or more of the following criteria as determined by the city plan commission:

1.

Where residential lot frontage is provided from an arterial street on an adjoining property, and the city plan commission determines that a public benefit would result from permitting the proposed development to be similarly designed; or

2.

Where the only street frontage which may be provided to the residential lots is from an arterial street due to the shape, topography or other physical condition of the property;

3.

Where otherwise an exception is granted by the city plan commission as provided in Chapter 19.48 of this title. The city plan commission may approve an exception to single-family lot direct access in those situations where the property being platted is so shallow that no alternative exists or the lots are large with circular driveways or with some other means of reducing conflicts with arterial traffic. Pedestrian access points from single-family residential to provide for maintenance and access to the arterial right-of-way may also be required;

4.

Where residential lot frontage is permitted on an arterial street, the block face and lot(s) facing the arterial shall meet the following requirements:

a.

Lots shall be accessed from an alley at the rear of the property.

b.

Lots shall not have driveway access to the arterial.

c.

The development shall provide street trees placed at thirty feet on center along the entire block face where lots face the arterial.

d.

The arterial shall provide for on street parking.

e.

The sidewalk width along the entire face of the block with lots facing the arterial shall be a minimum of six feet.

f.

The parkway along the entire face of the block with lots facing the arterial shall be a minimum of thirteen feet.

g.

A build to line shall be provided on the plat.

G.

Configuration Shall Reduce Minimal Offsets. Intersecting streets onto an existing or future divided roadway must be configured in accordance with Section 19.15.120, such that the centerline off-set will accommodate the appropriate median opening and left-turn lanes (with required transition and stacking distances) on each divided roadway, and shall be aligned with any existing or proposed streets or driveways on the opposite side of the divided roadway (in order to share the median opening). Median openings and off-sets should be analyzed in the traffic impact analysis, and a determination made if developments sharing a median opening may cause additional traffic conflicts, where an exception to sharing a median opening may be made.

H.

Right-of-way Widths. Street right-of-way widths shall be as shown on the thoroughfare plan and as defined by the corresponding roadway cross-sections on the thoroughfare plan, in Section 19.15.110 and in the city's DSC.

I.

Extensions of Existing Streets. New streets which extend existing streets shall bear the names of the existing streets, and shall be dedicated at equal or greater right-of-way widths than the existing streets for an appropriate transition length, if applicable, unless a lesser street is justified by a TIA.

J.

Construction of Streets. All streets shall be constructed in accordance with paving widths and specifications as set forth in the DSC of the City of El Paso at the time at which any required application is officially submitted and deemed a complete application, in accordance with the vesting provisions of this title.

1.

Intersections of major and minor arterials shall be constructed with concrete in accordance with the DSC, unless a specific exception is granted by the CPC and upon the affirmative recommendation of the city engineer or other designee of the city manager.

2.

All other streets may be constructed with asphalt in accordance with the DSC.

K.

Street Grades and Horizontal Curves. Minimum and maximum street grades and horizontal curves will conform to standards set forth in the DSC and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

L.

Street Signs. Street signs shall be installed by the developer at all intersections within and abutting the subdivision. These signs shall be of a type approved by the city, and shall be installed according to city standards and in conformance with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

M.

Streetlights. Streetlights shall be installed in accordance with Chapter 19.16.

N.

Screening Along Roadways. Screening requirements for roadways shall be in accordance with the zoning districts and requirements outlined in the zoning ordinance.

O.

Pedestrian Connectivity. Pedestrian connectivity and access shall be provided between subdivisions, schools (where access is allowed by the school district), culs-de-sac (i.e., bulb-to-bulb access) and park and open space areas. In cases where a subdivision is constructed in a location that is adjacent to another subdivision, pedestrian access shall be provided such that adjacent development can connect to such access at a later date, when development occurs. Gated subdivisions, subdivisions with severe topography problems or subdivisions where such connectivity may interfere with Arroyo or sensitive environmental protection may be exempt from this requirement upon approval by the city plan commission.

P.

Conformance with the Comprehensive Plan. Streets and the layout of streets shall be consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan, and specifically the thoroughfare plan.

Q.

Reserve Strips. Reserve strips controlling access to streets shall be prohibited except where their control is required by the city and approved by the city plan commission.

(Ord. 16882 § 2 (part), 2008)

(Ord. No. 17257, § 1, 12-22-2009; Ord. No. 17571, § 1, 5-24-2011; Ord. No. 17811, § 3, 6-5-2012, eff. 6-11-2012)