§ 4.06 Street Standards

The City of Tiffin, Iowa Design Standards shall govern all standards for the construction of streets, driveways, and sidewalks as provided therein unless specifically contradicted by the terms of the Subdivision Ordinance.

A) General: The following standards shall apply to all streets to be located within the subdivision:

1) Streets shall provide for the continuation of arterial and collector streets from adjoining platted areas, and the extension of such streets into adjoining unplatted areas. Where a plat encompasses the location for an arterial or collector street proposed in the Community Development Plan or the Street Plan, the plat shall provide for such street.

2) Street grades shall align to existing streets, and all grades for streets shall be as approved by the City.

3) Arterial streets shall be located so as to not require direct access from the arterial street to abutting lots.

4) Street right-of-way widths and pavement widths shall be as specified in the technical standards for public improvements.

5) Half-streets are prohibited, except, where an existing platted half-street abuts the subdivision, a platted half-street to complete the street shall be required.

6) Local streets should be designed to discourage through traffic while safely connecting to collector or arterial streets.

7) Street jogs with centerline offsets of less than (125) one hundred twenty five feet shall be prohibited, except where topography, or other physical conditions make such jogs unavoidable.

8) Streets shall intersect as nearly at right angles as possible; and no street shall intersect any other street at less than sixty (60) degrees.

9) At intersections of major streets, and otherwise as necessary, lot corners abutting the intersection shall be rounded with a radius sufficient to provide necessary space within the right-of-way for sidewalks, traffic control devices, and other necessary improvements without encroachment onto the corner lots.

10) Deadend streets are prohibited, except where a street is planned to continue past the subdivider's property, a temporary dead end may be allowed.

11) Streets that connect with other streets, or loop streets, are preferable for maintenance, fire protection, and circulation, but cul-de-sacs are discouraged unless there are no other feasible alternatives available.

12) In general, alleys shall not be permitted in residential areas and shall be required in commercial areas with normal street frontage. Dead end alleys are prohibited, unless provided with a turn-around with a minimum right-of-way diameter of one hundred (100) feet.

13) When a tract is subdivided into larger than normal lots or parcels, such lots or parcels shall be so arranged as to permit the logical location and opening of future streets and adequate utility connections. Easements for the future openings and extensions for such streets or utilities may, at the discretion of the City Council, be made a requirement of the plat.

14) Streets that are or will become extensions of existing streets shall be given the same name as the existing streets. New street names shall not be the same or sound similar to existing street names. All street names shall be at the approval of the City Council.

15) Private streets shall be prohibited. The City Council may approve a waiver to this rule where unusual conditions such as a PAD, make a private street desirable, provided adequate covenants or other legal documents ensure that the City will not have or need to assume any maintenance or other responsibility for such street.

B) Railroads and Limited Access Highways: Railroad right-of-ways and limited access highways where so located as to affect the subdivision of adjoining lands shall be treated as follows:

1) In all districts a buffer strip at least fifty (50) feet in depth in addition to the normal depth of the lot required in the district shall be provided adjacent to the railroad right-of-way. A buffer strip at least twenty (20) feet in depth in addition to the normal depth of the limited access highway. This strip shall be part of the platted lots and shall be designated on the plat: "This strip is reserved for screening. The placement of structures hereon is prohibited."

2) Streets parallel to the railroad when intersecting a street which crosses the railroad at grade shall, to the extent practicable, be at a distance of at least two-hundred twenty five (225) feet from the railroad right-of-way. Such distance shall be determined with due consideration of the minimum distance required for future separation of grades by means of appropriate approach gradients. The following standards shall apply to the layout of blocks and lots in all subdivisions:

A) No residential block shall be longer than thirteen hundred (1,300) feet or shorter than three hundred (300) feet measured from street line to street line. The width of blocks should be arranged so as to allow two tiers of lots, with utility easement.

B) In blocks over seven hundred (700) feet in length, the City Council may require a public way or an easement at least ten (10) feet in width, at or near the center of the block, for use by pedestrians.

C) The size and shape of lots intended for commercial or industrial use shall be adequate to provide for the use intended, and to meet the parking, loading, and other requirements for such uses contained in the zoning ordinance.

D) Lot arrangement and design shall be such that all lots will provide satisfactory building sites, properly related to topography and surrounding land uses.

E) All lots shall comply with all requirements of the zoning ordinance applicable to the zone in which the lot is located.

F) All lots shall abut a public street or an approved private street.

G) Unless unavoidable, lots shall not front, or have direct access to arterial streets. Where unavoidable, lots shall be so arranged as to minimize the number of access points.

H) All lot lines shall be at right angles to straight street lines or radial to curved street lines, except where, in the judgment of the City Council, a waiver of this provision will provide a better street and lot layout.

I) Reversed frontage lots are prohibited. Double frontage lots shall only be permitted where abutting a major street and a minor street, and such lots shall front only on minor streets.