[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-71; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
All new streets shall be designed consistent with requirements herein; and any reconstruction or relocation of existing streets shall reflect the minimum requirements as far as may be practical. The City Council, after review and recommendation of the committee responsible for capital projects, may accept a street to be a public way which does not meet the requirements of this article. The Council may waive specific requirements of this article if it is in the best interest of the public to do so, based upon the recommendations of the engineer. Developers are cautioned to obtain such waivers in advance of Council acceptance. In the case of a subdivision, the Council waiver must be obtained prior to approval by the Planning Board.
For roads and driveways within Shoreland and Resource Protection Areas, additional design standards apply to these projects. See Article XIV, Shoreland Zoning, Section 15-H, for requirements.
In cases where a roadway is to be constructed that will be offered to the City for acceptance as a public way and where such roadway will be used to provide access to successive phases of development, the developer, upon request for acceptance of the roadway as a public way, shall provide a performance guarantee (letter of credit, insurance policy or cash account), as surety for repair of damage to final paving and curbing, in an amount equaling the cost of final paving and curbing times 150% times 5% per year inflation factor.
(1) 
The performance guarantee shall be for an initial term of five years and shall be renewed as required. The performance guarantee shall remain in effect until 75% of the lots in the successive phases served by such a road receive occupancy permits. The Director of Public Works with the assistance of the Engineering Department shall review the condition of the roadway prior to the release of the performance guarantee and will make the determination of the cost to repair any deficiencies. The repair shall be done by the developer to the satisfaction of the City prior to any release of the performance guarantee.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-72; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
No street shall be designed with a right-of-way less than 50 feet in width. Greater width shall be provided to accommodate such features as on-street parking or surface drainage facilities. The land within the right-of-way of an approved public road shall not be used to meet the area requirements of any lot obtaining its frontage from the public road.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-73; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Subsurface utility conduits shall be located so as to minimize conflicts and interference with one another, both in the original construction and in future maintenance. The standards of the department of engineering shall be adhered to in design, and the Director shall condition all street opening permits to promote those standards.
(b) 
Aboveground features shall be located as delineated herein, to provide for a minimum of mutual interference. In general, traffic control devices shall be located behind the curb within the esplanade; utility poles, trees and other plantings may be within the esplanade or at the rear of the sidewalk, provided they are not underneath any overhead wires or over any subsurface conduits and do not block any line-of-sight required elsewhere in this chapter. Hydrants shall be located to the rear of the sidewalk unless circumstances demand an alternate location, as determined by the Chief of the Fire Department, or his/her designee.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-74; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Minimum angle. In general, right angle (ninety-degree) intersections are preferred, but a variation of up to 15° either way may be permitted.
(b) 
Curb radius. Intersecting curblines (or edge of pavement, if there are no curbs) shall be cut back to a radius of not less than 25 feet (9.0 m). The right-of-way line shall also be a radius of sufficient length to assure no narrowing of the sidewalk and/or esplanade of the narrower street.
(c) 
Separation of adjacent intersections. The intersection of a minor street with any major street shall be separated from all other such intersections by at least 200 feet (61 m) as measured along the center line of the major street. This condition shall apply if the two successive intersections are on the same side of the major road. For intersecting streets on opposite sides of the major street, the intersections shall be horizontally spaced either less than 25 feet apart or more than 200 feet apart. Horizontal projection shall be based on the distance between the center lines of the intersecting roads with the major road, starting from a point 100 feet back from the intersection with the major road and drawing a line along the center line of the road that intersects with the major roads center line. In all cases, it is encouraged that the travel lane portion of the minor road entering on to the major street should be at a 90° for a minimum of one car length, or 20 feet.
(d) 
Block length. In subdivisions and other planned developments, the street pattern shall be such that blocks shall be at least 600 feet (180 m) long, but no more than 1,200 feet (360 m).
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-75; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
All changes in direction of streets shall be accomplished by the use of appropriate curves, rather than by abrupt deflections. The degree of curvature shall be sufficient to ensure adequate sight distance for the design speed of the street, but in no case shall the road's center-line radius be less than those shown in Table A, Section 62-126, except for corner radii at intersections and at culs-de-sac or other turnarounds.
(b) 
No two curves of reverse alignment shall be contiguous, but shall have a straight portion (i.e., tangent) of street interposed. The length of such tangents shall not be less than those values shown in Table A, Section 62-126.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-76; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
The design of streets shall provide for future continuation of existing streets, and proper projection onto adjacent lands, so as to provide for continuous, through streets upon ultimate development. Every effort shall be made in the design stage to avoid alignments which cannot be extended in the future.
(1) 
If a dead-end street is necessary, either permanently or temporarily, a suitable turnaround shall be provided at the closed end. A turning circle shall have an island in the center that is sized to allow two full traffic lanes to encircle it. The minimum radius of such an island shall be 65 feet, the outer pavement edge shall have a minimum radius of 91 feet, and the right-of-way shall have a minimum radius of 105 feet. Any plantings or other objects within an island shall not restrict visibility across the entire island.
(2) 
Turnaround: A hammerhead or "T" turnaround shall be constructed to comply with the applicable standards of this section, and the perpendicular cross piece of the "T" shall have the same width as its associated road, and shall extend a minimum of 40 feet to either side of the center line of the dead-end street. The cross piece of the "T" shall be located within a fifty-foot wide right-of-way that shall extend at least 20 feet beyond the ends of the pavement. No lot may be accessed from either ends of a hammerhead or a "T" turnaround.
(3) 
Dead-end streets in the RF Zone only: A dead-end street shall not exceed in length a distance of 1,500 feet, as measured along the proposed street center line, from the end of the dead end road to the outside edge of the traveled way of the nearest intersecting through road. Exceptions to the maximum dead-end lengths:
a. 
If an applicant can demonstrate (through a master plan) that the street will be connected to create a through street in future development, the Planning Board may allow dead-end lengths to temporarily exceed 1,500 feet.
b. 
If a road loops back on to itself (i.e. lollipop or p-shaped), it may exceed the standards above, provided that the point at which the road loops back onto itself as measured from the beginning of the dead-end road is not more than 1,500 feet.
(4) 
When a temporary turnaround of whatever design is provided, the plans shall clearly indicate the limits of the easements for roadway purposes, and the dimensions of those easements, so as to eliminate any uncertainties at such time as the street shall be continued, as to which portion of the easements, if any, are to revert to specific abutting properties.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-77; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
Grades of all streets shall be held to a reasonable minimum, but in no case less than 1% or greater than 8%. Additionally, within 75 feet of an intersection, the road grade shall be no greater than 3%.
Exception to the maximum road grade — For minor residential roads only:
(1) 
Roads with slopes greater than 8% (up to a maximum of 14%) have to increase the level off distance by 25 feet for each percent over 8% coming into intersections.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-78; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
The proper drainage of stormwater within the right-of-way of any street is influenced by the following features: roadway crown, gutters and curbs, culverts and ditches, catch basins and subsurface storm drains; and all such features shall be designed to function together to effect a smooth and efficient removal of stormwater from the travel lanes of the street. In general, urban areas will be drained by subsurface facilities, whereas surface drainage facilities usually will be satisfactory in non-urban areas.
(1) 
Open drainage, where used, will be by trapezoidal ditches running approximately parallel to the roadway, together with culverts under the road at appropriate locations, and culverts under all driveways and side streets. Both culverts and ditches shall be designed to accommodate a twenty-five-year storm, using the Manning formula. Culvert ends shall be protected by masonry headwalls or other suitable method, and shall discharge into a riprap protected area with a plunge pool, or other approved method. Maximum culvert side slopes shall be 33% (1:3), and shall be stabilized with grass or any other method allowed in Section 62-132. Ultimate discharge shall be into a receiving body having ample capacity to accommodate the added volume of water.
(2) 
Subsurface drainage will be used on all streets having curbed gutters. Catch basins or curb-inlets will be located at the uphill side of any intersecting streets or as directed by the engineer; otherwise, basins shall be placed at intervals so that a twenty-five-year storm will not cause ponding greater than 50% of the total crown of the roadway, nor velocities greater than 500 feet per minute in the gutters. Pipes shall be no smaller than 12 inches in diameter, and shall have a minimum of four feet (1.2 m) of cover over the crown of the pipe. If conditions do not allow for the required four feet of earth cover, a blanket of approved insulation material may be placed over the pipe to compensate; the width of such insulation shall be equal to three times the nominal pipe diameter. In no case shall the earth cover be less than two feet.
(3) 
If the maximum water table is within 18 inches of the ground and if ditches can not be used, an underdrain system shall be installed and discharged in a positive manner to appropriate open or closed system. A note shall be placed on the plan that if evidence of the water table is discovered during the inspection process the engineer may require underdrain to be installed. Follow underdrain specifications in MDOT Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges, most recent edition.
(4) 
Stormwater management. In order to preserve nonurban natural resources and keep construction costs down, the City of Biddeford will require the developer to implement a stormwater management plan utilizing low-impact water collection structures.
a. 
For roads servicing five or less lots or roads located within a cluster subdivision, vegetative buffers and swales shall be utilized. However, if there are extenuating circumstances that do not afford the use of vegetative structures (land slope, wetland protection, neighboring properties, etc.), and the applicant's engineer has proven that there are no other reasonable alternatives, the engineer will work with the applicant to determine the best means of stormwater management.
b. 
For roads serving greater than five lots, subsurface stormwater drainage may be used, although if feasible, vegetative (surface) structures should be incorporated.
Refer to "Private Ways and Roads Standards (Section 51) in the Performance Standards (Article VI) for details on vegetative drainage systems under Stormwater Management for Subdivisions.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-79; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
The roadway portion of a street layout shall consist of those features which serve to support, channel or restrict the vehicles using the street. It includes the pavement and its base material, curbs, guardrails, medians, shoulders, access ramps and driveway aprons. (Note: See Section 62-126, Table A, for minimum roadway construction standards.)
(1) 
Travel lanes: Lane width for City streets shall not be less than those values shown in Section 62-126, Table A. The shoulders must be a minimum of two feet on each side. If a curb or berm is installed, the travel lane shall be a minimum of 13 feet in width.
For minor residential streets in the RF Zone, the travel lane width shall be a minimum of 10 feet with two-foot gravel shoulders at each side and no curbing. If curbing is technically necessary, as determined by the engineer, for a RF Zone minor residential street, then the street must comply with the City street standards previously stated.
(2) 
Parking lanes: When provision is made for parallel parking along the side of any street, the parking lane shall be at least 7 1/2 feet (2.3 m) in width. An eight-foot paved shoulder may be designated and used for parking, consistent with other ordinances.
(3) 
Medians: If a median is desired to separate traffic lanes, it shall be no less than four feet (1.22 m) in width (except for temporary traffic dividers used during construction operations). If a median is used to channelize traffic at intersections, it shall be no less than one-foot wide. Medians may be raised above the travel surface, in which case mountable edgings set no more than 45° from horizontal shall be used, and the material behind the edging shall also be graded to a slope no greater than 10% Depressed medians shall have paved shoulders next to the travel lanes, paved and graded no steeper than 2% for at least four feet (1.22 m), and material within the median to be graded no steeper than 10%. Medians may accommodate plantings, drainage features, informational or directional signs, or other traffic control devices provided they conform to the standards of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices of the U.S. Department of Transportation. These standards shall apply to islands at culs-de-sac.
(4) 
Curbs, berms and edgings. Provision of curbs, berms and pavement edgings will depend in large measure upon the drainage chosen (i.e., open or subsurface), Materials normally used will be granite, cement concrete or bituminous concrete, although other materials will be considered. Curbs will be vertical, or within 10° of vertical, when placed between traffic lanes and pedestrian sidewalks, unless there are alternate provisions for pedestrian safety. Mountable edging may be used elsewhere. When sidewalk is rebuilt, the existing granite or bituminous curbing shall be replaced with like material or better.
(5) 
Future extension/expansion. Any road that is extended as results in further development thereby increasing traffic may have its classification changed by the Director. This would require the road to be upgraded to the road design criteria stated in Section 62-126. Neither building permits nor road acceptance may be granted before the road upgrade is complete, unless a performance bond for 150% of the entire road build out is posted, or the Planning Board selects as optional these roadway upgrade requirements.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-80; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Required. Adequate allowance shall be made for safe and convenient pedestrian traffic, either actual or anticipated. Minimum provision for pedestrians shall be an all-weather sidewalk on one side of a street, at least five feet (1.5 m) wide. See Section 62-134, constructing sidewalks, for construction details.
(b) 
Curb ramps. Appropriate ramps sloped no greater than one inch of height per foot of horizontal distance (8.33%) shall be used at all locations where a pedestrian sidewalk must cross a curbline to meet a crosswalk, whether at a street intersection or at a midblock location. Ramps shall not feather in to the roadway surface, but shall have a vertical termination approximately 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch in height, aligned with the normal curbline. Ramped surface shall be broomed or scored to provide a reasonably nonskid surface, and shall contrast in texture with the normal surface of the sidewalk and roadway.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-81; Ord. of 8-4-1998(7); Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003; Ord. No. 2005.95, 10-4-2005]
Construction and maintenance of curb cuts and driveway aprons are normally the responsibility of the owner of the property served, although legally a part of the public way. All such features shall be constructed only with a valid permit from the Director as provided in Section 62-171.
(1) 
Curb cuts will be equal to the allowable width of the driveway apron plus a radius on each side: a driveway radius shall be at least two feet but no more than 12 feet, and in no case shall the radius exceed the width of the esplanade.
(2) 
The width of the driveway apron between the curbline and the property line will be limited according to the type of use intended, and in conformance with the following schedule:
a. 
Type I-A: Residential use; a single-family residence or a duplex structure. Driveways up to 24 feet may be allowed by the Director for public safety reason, provided a written request is submitted to the Director for approval. Note: Duplex dwellings may have separate twelve-foot driveways for each unit provided that they are on opposite sides of the structure and are not interconnected.
b. 
Type I-B: Residential use; multifamily building with off-street parking facility and driveway for two-way travel (16 feet), unless otherwise approved by the Director for a width not to exceed 24 feet. Applicant must submit request in writing to the Director.
c. 
Type II-A: Business use; non-highway related uses with a single drive (20 feet) for both entrance and exit to/from off-street parking areas for use by customers and employees and light delivery vehicles, unless otherwise approved by the Director for a width not to exceed 24 feet. Applicant must submit request in writing to the Director.
d. 
Type II-B: Alternate to Type II-A for separate entrance and exit drives to parking area. Width, 16 feet; minimum separation, 32 feet.
e. 
Type II-C: (Note: "Highway related use" shall mean businesses engaged in selling, leasing or servicing motor vehicles, or parts or accessories thereof, which normally requires that the motor vehicle be located at the business site.) Business use; highway related uses having a single drive for both entrance and exit to off-street parking, for use by both customers and employees and by delivery vehicles (24 feet).
f. 
Type II-D: Alternate to Type II-C for parking areas having separate entrance and exit driveways. Width, 16 feet; minimum separation, 32 feet.
g. 
Type III-A: (Note: Industrial sites may have automobile parking for employees and visitors separated from the truck parking or loading areas, in which case, the Type I-B or II-A provisions shall apply to the autos.) Industrial driveways for large trucks, buses or other motorized equipment, having a single driveway, 40 feet wide, for both entrance and exit to off-street parking and/or loading areas, or similar.
h. 
Type III-B: Alternate to Type III-A for separate entrance and exit driveways to/from off-street parking/loading areas. Width of drives, 24 feet; minimum separation, 48 feet.
(3) 
Driveway aprons shall be located no closer to the side line of the lot served (or extension thereof at right angles to the front property line) than the allowable width of the driveway given in Subsection (2) of this section. Spacing between adjacent driveways will be equal to the combined width of the driveways, as given above.
(4) 
Driveway aprons shall be located no closer to an intersection than 25 feet. No driveways may be located within any intersection.
(5) 
Driveways to corner lots, or through lots shall gain access from the street of lower classification when a lot is bounded by streets of two different classifications. The restriction shall appear as a note on the plan and as a deed restriction. Also, the lots legal frontage shall be determined by this requirement. In extenuation circumstances where this requirement creates a hardship for the landowner, the Planning Board can work with a landowner to determine the best location for the structure.
(6) 
The driveway ramp shall lie completely between the gutter line and the inner edge of the sidewalk (the edge nearest the center of the street) where a sidewalk exists. In the case of an esplanade too narrow to accommodate a ramp of reasonable flatness, the sidewalk grade may have to be lowered in order to meet the above condition. In all cases, alterations must be by permit from the Director.
(7) 
In the event of a change in the use of a driveway, a permit must be obtained to enlarge a drive; and if the new use requires a narrower drive, the Director may order the alteration at the expense of the property owner.
(8) 
In the event of any construction by the City disturbing or destroying an existing driveway apron, the City will construct a new, conforming apron at no cost to the property owner, but the responsibility for maintaining it will remain with the owner.
(9) 
If a driveway is discontinued, it shall be the responsibility of the property owner to remove the driveway apron, and to replace the curb in a manner satisfactory to the Director. If the property owner fails to accomplish this removal, the City may elect to do the work, and charge the cost to the property owner.
(10) 
The Public Works Director, City Engineer and City Planner may waive any of the above criteria providing they agree to such a waiver unanimously, granting the waiver would serve a useful purpose, and it does not adversely impact traffic flow and safety or create undue adverse impacts on abutting properties. Appeals of the decision to grant, grant with conditions, or deny the waiver shall be taken directly to the City Council.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-82; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
Normally, the portion of the street right-of-way lying between the curb and the sidewalk (or the curb and the limit of the right-of-way in the case of no sidewalk) is designated the esplanade, and is devoted principally to grass or other ground cover. This area is also used to locate utility poles, fire hydrants, traffic signs, and sometimes trees. However, anything, either natural or artificial, which would significantly reduce the visibility of drivers and pedestrians should be removed or relocated. Shrubs, advertising signs (especially temporary, moveable signs) and the like are not permissible except to the rear of the sidewalk. Likewise, trees which have branches overhanging the sidewalk or esplanade must be trimmed to a height of eight feet above the sidewalk or esplanade. Esplanades are normally graded to a 1% or 2% pitch toward the street, but in exceptional cases, may be steeper if allowed by the Director.
[Ord. of 12-4-1991, § 20-83; Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
(a) 
Signs shall be placed at the beginning and ending of every street, and at such intermediate points as shall be required by the Director, indicating the name of the street. Such signs shall conform to the requirements of Section 62-84.
(b) 
Adequate lighting shall be provided on all streets. The number and location of all streetlights shall be installed according to the following guidelines: in urban areas, the lights shall be located at all intersections and on every other telephone pole, in non-urban areas light shall be located at all intersections and to service three homes. For overhead power, type and size of streetlights to be determined by public works. If underground power is used, the applicant needs to coordinate with the engineering department for City standard light fixtures and poles.
These current guidelines may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the committee responsible for capital projects if extenuating circumstances exist. A plan showing all of the above details shall be furnished for the committee responsible for capital projects approval prior to installation.
(c) 
The Planning Board shall review project from a planning point of view, while the committee responsible for capital projects shall review projects from an operations point of view.
[Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
Sight distance is the length of approaching roadway, which is visible to the driver.
Stopping sight distance in the sum of the distance traveled during driver perception/reaction time (2 1/2 seconds) and the distance traveled while braking to a stop. The measurement is from the driver's eye 3 1/2 feet above the pavement to a six-inch height of object. Table 62-114-1 lists the design guidelines for stopping sight distances at various speeds. Table is based on 10 feet of sight distance for every mile per hour. In no case shall the minimum sight distances be less than the MDOT Highway Design Guide requirements.
Table 62-114-1
Stopping Sight Distance
Design Speed
(miles per hour)
Sight Distance
(feet)
15
150
25
250
30
300
35
350
40
400
45
450
50
500
55
550
Intersections at grade sight distance: Any intersection street or road shall be so designed in profile and grading to provide minimum sight distances measured in each direction. The height of eye of the driver is 3 1/2 feet and the height of object (an approaching car) is 4 1/4 feet. This section is based on Chapter 8 of the Maine DOT Highway Design Guide. Refer to the most recent version of this manual for sight distance requirements for various intersections.
[Ord. No. 2003.16, 2-4-2003]
The owner may be required to investigate and determine the types and classifications of the subsurface soils, which shall be considered in the design of the proposed street(s). If in the opinion of the engineer, unsuitable subsurface soils are encountered during construction, the owner shall be required to excavate and remove the unsuitable material and replace it with suitable granular material at the expense of the owner, or the owner's engineer may provide an alternative means to deal with the poor soils. (See Section 62-129)