The design standards herein presented are minimum requirements. All roadways, alleys, sidewalks, streetlighting and thoroughfares are to be constructed to the standards of the SCDOT Roadway Design Manual (2017). If any part of this Part 2 conflicts with the SCDOT Roadway Design Manual (2017), the more stringent language shall prevail.
A. 
Street right-of-way width.
(1) 
Thoroughfares: Width shall conform to specifications of the preliminary thoroughfare plan.
(2) 
Minor collector: Width shall not be less than 50 feet.
(3) 
Minor street: Width shall not be less than 40 feet.
(4) 
Cul-de-sac: Width shall not be less than 50 feet, except that the terminal turnaround shall have a diameter of not less than 90 feet.
(5) 
Marginal access street: Width shall not be less than 40 feet.
(6) 
Subdivisions along existing streets of inadequate right-of-way shall provide additional right-of-way to meet the minimum standards contained herein.
(7) 
When the subdivision abuts a major street, any land necessary for widening the major street shall be dedicated.
(8) 
Subdivisions with unusual topographic conditions shall provide greater street right-of-way than herein required and/or provide slope easements for the sloping of banks or fill material.
B. 
Alleys.
(1) 
Alleys will not be permitted in residential districts except as a continuation of a dead-end alley.
(2) 
Alleys, not less than 20 feet in width, shall be required in commercial and industrial districts, except that the Planning Commission may waive this requirement where other definite and assured provision is made for service access, such as off-street loading and parking consistent with and adequate for the uses proposed.
C. 
Street alignment.
(1) 
All street alignments must provide for the continuation of existing streets abutting the subdivision.
(2) 
Arrangement of major streets in the subdivision shall conform as closely as possible with the thoroughfare plan.
(3) 
The arrangement of streets shall be such as will not cause hardship to owners of adjoining property in providing convenient access.
(4) 
Minor collector streets may be required where necessary to facilitate traffic flow in the subdivision.
(5) 
Radii of not less than 100 feet shall be provided on all curves unless local conditions warrant a shorter radius.
D. 
Street grades.
(1) 
Street grades shall comply with good engineering practice and shall not exceed 10% or be less than 0.5%. Wherever possible, grades of thoroughfares shall not exceed 5.0%.
(2) 
Grades approaching intersections shall not exceed 5.0% for a distance of not less than 50 feet from the right-of-way line of said intersection.
(3) 
All changes in street grade shall be connected by vertical curves of at least 100 feet or the equivalent of 15 times the algebraic difference in the rate of grade, whichever is greater.
E. 
Street intersections.
(1) 
Not more than two streets shall intersect at a point.
(2) 
Street right-of-way lines at intersections shall be rounded by a minimum radius of 25 feet. The roadway edge at intersections shall be rounded by a minimum radius of 25 feet.
(3) 
Streets shall intersect as nearly at right angles as possible, and in no case at an angle of less than 60°. Intersections involving a thoroughfare shall not be less than 80°.
(4) 
Street intersections shall be located at least 150 feet apart.
(5) 
Street intersections shall be located at least 150 feet from any railroad right-of-way.
(6) 
Streets generally parallel to railroad rights-of-way shall not be closer than 150 feet to the railroad right-of-way.
F. 
Cul-de-sac. The length of a cul-de-sac, measured from the intersecting street to the center of the turnaround, shall not be longer than 750 feet.
A. 
An adequate right-of-way shall be dedicated along each side of surface drainage courses for purposes of constructing, widening, deepening, relocating, improving or maintaining the drainage course. The location of any surface drainage course shall not be changed without the approval of the City Engineer.
B. 
Easements of at least 7 1/2 feet in width shall be provided on each side of rear and side lot lines where necessary for poles, wires, conduits, storm and sanitary sewers, gas, water or other utilities. Easements of greater width may be required along rear lot lines or across lots where necessary for the extension of major utility lines, or where more than one utility is located in the same easement. A three-foot easement shall be required on one side of an alley to accommodate pole lines.
A. 
The lot arrangement and design shall be such that all lots will provide satisfactory and desirable building sites, properly related to topography and the character of surrounding development.
B. 
Where easements for public utilities and sewers are contemplated, the lot lines shall be located in such manner as to facilitate the construction and maintenance of such improvements.
C. 
Lot areas shall not be less than minimum zoning requirements in the area in which the property is located.
D. 
All side lines of lots shall be at right angles or radial to street lines, except where a variation will provide a better street and lot layout.
E. 
Double-frontage lots shall be avoided wherever possible.
F. 
Corner lots for residential use shall have additional width sufficient to provide equal setback from front and side streets.
G. 
Every lot shall abut on a street. In no case shall an alley serve as the only access to a lot.
H. 
The depth of a lot shall not be less than 100 feet, and excessive depth in relation to width shall be avoided.
A. 
No block shall be more than 1,500 feet in length, and preferably not less than 800 feet in length.
B. 
The greater dimension of a block adjoining a major street shall abut the major street.
C. 
Where blocks are over 1,000 feet in length, a crosswalk easement not less than 20 feet wide may be required, if necessary, to provide proper access to schools, playgrounds or other public facilities.
Except in cases determined to be impractical by the Water Department, sanitary sewer mains shall not be less than eight inches in diameter. Tap connections shall be provided from mains to each lot line and marked at the lot line by a permanent iron pin. Storm drainage shall be provided to the degree deemed necessary by the City Engineer to prevent property damage.
Where the subdivision contains a park, school or other public area which is shown on the Comprehensive Plan, the size and exact location shall be determined by the Planning Commission based on criteria and requirements specified in the Comprehensive Plan. Where other public agencies are involved, current criteria and specifications of said agency shall prevail unless waived.
Land subject to flooding or inadequately served by drainage facilities will not be acceptable for subdivision unless the subdivider agrees to make such improvements as will in the opinion of the City Engineer render the land fit for occupancy.
The subdivider should confer with the Planning Commission regarding the type and character of development that will be permitted in the subdivision. The Planning Commission may require that certain minimum requirements be incorporated in restrictive covenants to apply to all lots in the subdivision for the purpose of protecting the character and value of the proposed subdivision and of adjoining property.