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Home My WebLink About95-07 Sidewalks & DrivewaysCITY OF PRIOR LAKE ORDINANCE NO. 95-07 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 7, TITLE 6, SECTION 6-7-3 OF THE PRIOR LAKE CITY CODE AND CHAPTER 7, SECTION 6-7-3 OF THE CITY OF PRIOR LAKE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE The City Council of the City of Prior Lake does hereby ordain: Section 6-7-3 of Title 6, Chapter 7, of the Prior Lake City Code and Chapter 7, Section 6-7-3 of the Prior Lake Subdivision Ordinance are hereby amended in their entirety to read as follows: 6-7-3 Sidewalks and Driveways (A) PURPOSE: The intent of this section is to provide guidance for sidewalk construction and to accommodate a range of location and design options for new developments. (B) OBJECTIVES: . Sidewalks are desirable improvements which promote the public safety and welfare; and they are appropriate features for all multiple residential and commercial/industrial projects, adjacent to schools, churches, shopping facilities, and within residential developments. . Sidewalks are encouraged to separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic, thereby affording more safety for pedestrians; to encourage a pedestrian mode of transportation, which conserves energy by decreasing automobile usage; and to provide a safer area for handicapped persons and children to use. , The emphasis of sidewalk construction should be on improving the pedestrian experience by provision of landscaping, such as boulevard trees, and to provide safe crossings, through the use of landscaped medians, brick pavers at street crossings or use of colored and stamped concrete to physically and aesthetically identify the pedestrian cross walk separate from the street system. (C) REQUIRED SIDEWALKS: . Sidewalks shall be required for all new projects where a means of pedestrian access from the development to schools, parks, churches, business or industrial developments, adjacent neighborhoods, transportation facilities, or for unusually long blocks is necessary in order to meet the purpose and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan and of this Ordinance. TABLE 1 contains the guidelines related to the location, installation and maintenance of sidewalks within the City of Prior Lake. The City Council shall make the final determination of the type and location of sidewalks to be installed. . Paved or concrete paths that may not strictly follow the street may be permitted by the City Council. Bituminous material may not used for paths to be located within the front yards of residential properties. -1- (D) . Paths in common areas or other locations away from streets which are typically found in planned unit developments or cluster developments generally should be integrated into the detailed area plan or layout, permitting visual surveillance of the path from the street or nearby houses. STANDARDS: . Sidewalks shall be made of concrete, five feet wide. An eight foot concrete sidewalk will be required in high density areas where safety is a concern, including but not limited to, commercial and industrial areas, multi-family areas and school zones. . Sidewalks should be located within a public right-of-way, public easement, or common area, or at least (1') foot inside of the right-of-way line. A border area or grass strip located between the street edge of the sidewalk and curb face shall be installed to provide a visual break between the paved surface of the street and sidewalk; a suitable location for planting of boulevard trees, landscape, snow storage, and provide pedestrian safety by further moving the sidewalk from the road surface. (See Engineering Design Guidelines Manual, Standard Plate 701 for a detail related to the border/grass strip design.) . Along certain streets, a continuous sidewalk, without a grass strip will be required where the City Council determines that turf maintenance will likely be a problem and pedestrian traffic is considerable. . Sidewalk street crossings shall be located at a point along the road that offers adequate sight distance as determined by the City Engineer. , Barrier curbs (vertical curbs) 6 inches high shall be provided along collector streets or streets located in commercial or industrial areas adjacent to sidewalks to prevent vehicle from leaving the roadway, control drainage, protect pavement edges and protect sidewalks, lawns, utilities signs and street trees from encroachment by vehicles. . Curb cuts shall be provided for bicycles, wheelchairs, baby carriages, and other wheeled vehicles. MnDOT Standard Plate 7036D as amended from time to time should be used as the standard for design and installation of curb ramps compliant with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) requirements. In addition, the following principles should be observed in considering ramp construction. a) A curb cut ramp shall be located close to the intersection to keep the width of the crosswalk to a minimum. Minor obstacles including but not limited to mail boxes or newspaper dispensers, should not be cited as a basis to omit the curb cut. b) Ramps shall be constructed by depressing the curb and sidewalks to the height required for achieving the ramp slopes and landing areas needed for safe pedestrian and wheelchair movement and consistent with ADA requirements. c) The surface of the ramp shall be rougher than the texture used on the surrounding sidewalk. This effect may be obtained by coarse brooming or scoring transverse to the slope of the ramp. , When sidewalks cross streets, a treatment such as striping, landscape medians, colored or stamped concrete or signs to identify the crosswalk as approved by the City Engineer, shall be installed by the Developer. -2- . In development projects that contain hills or steep topography the sidewalk pattern shall conform as closely as possible to the standards found herein and to connecting walkways. . Sidewalks may be narrower than otherwise required to fit the terrain when approved by the City Council. TABLE I GUIDELINES FOR LOCATION, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE OF SIDEWALKS IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS STREET NONE OR # SIDEWALKS INSTALLATION MAINTAINED TYPE 1 SIDE I OR 2 BOTH PAID BY BY SI DES SI DES D EV/C ITY/* OWN ER/CITY Local Minor Collector X Developer Owner/City X Developer Owner/City Major Collector X City/* Owner/City Minor Arterial X City/* Owner/City Major Arterial X City/* OwnedCity Principal Arterial X City/* Owner/City * Other jurisdiction such as MnDOT and Scott County. NOTES: If improvement is not listed in the City CIP, the developer will be responsible for cost and installation of sidewalk system. The City Engineer may recommend that sidewalks be installed on local streets or on one side of a minor collector when a trail also serves the street or where topographical or traffic conditions warrant. (E) DRIVEWAYS: Driveways shall be graded to final grades, with the minimum acceptable driving surface to include four inches (4") of aggregate base. The subdivision grading plan shall indicate the location and slope, for all driveways within the proposed subdivision, and according to the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance and the City Code. II. This Ordinance shall become effective from and after its passage and publication. -3- Passed by the City Council of the City of Prior Lake this 20th day of March ,1995. ATTEST: City M~h~~.. ' Mayor Published in the Prior Lake American on the 8th day of April, 1995. Drafted by: City Planning Director City of Prior Lake, Minnesota OR95 -4-