In addition to the subdivision improvement design and construction requirements under article III of this chapter, the improvements of this article are required to be installed or constructed, or adequate surety provided, prior to the acceptance of maintenance of such improvements by the city and recording of the plat.
(Ordinance 549, sec. 10.250, adopted 12/22/09)
In all subdivisions and additions, monuments shall be established at the corner of each block in the subdivision consisting of an iron rod or pipe not less than one-half-inch in diameter and 18 inches deep, and set flush with the top of the ground. Lot corner monuments shall be placed at all lot corners except corners which are also block corners, consisting of iron rods or pipes of a diameter of not less than one-half-inch and 18 inches deep, and set flush with the top of the ground. In addition, curve point markers shall be established of the same specifications as lot corners. Each block corner monument shall include a cap with the surveyor’s name and registration number attached to it. All block corners shall be installed prior to the final inspection of the subdivision by the city. Lot corners shall be installed prior to issuance of a building permit.
(Ordinance 549, sec. 10.251, adopted 12/22/09)
All street lighting shall be in keeping with the semi-rural atmosphere of the city, and shall be in conformance with the applicable regulations of the city. In order to minimize light pollution and the overspill of lighting onto residential properties, and in order to preserve the integrity of nighttime darkness, which is valued by city residents, and the visibility of stars and heavenly bodies, no streetlights shall be required in any residential subdivision in the city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Streetlights may be allowed upon request of the applicant if determined by the city to be in conformance with its lighting regulations and will not contribute to the light pollution of the city.
(Ordinance 549, sec. 10.252, adopted 12/22/09)
(a) 
Street names must be submitted to the city, to the U.S. Postal Service, and to applicable emergency service providers (including 911) for review and approval in accordance with the city’s guidelines for the naming of streets, if applicable. Proposed street names shall be submitted for review along with, and as a part of, the preliminary plat application, and shall become fixed at the time of approval of the preliminary plat. On the final plat, street names shall not be changed from those that were approved on the preliminary plat unless special circumstances have caused the major realignment of streets or a proposed street name is discovered to have already been used elsewhere in the city, or some other similar eventuality. If additional street names are needed for the final plat, then they must be submitted for review and approval by the city, the U.S. Postal Service and applicable emergency service providers (including 911) along with the final plat application. A fee may be established by the city for the changing of street names after approval of the preliminary plat.
(b) 
Surnames of people or the names of corporations or businesses shall not be used as street names, unless approved by the city council. The city will maintain a list of existing street names, and “reserved” street names that have been approved on a preliminary plat, and will update the list as new streets are platted.
(c) 
New street names shall not duplicate existing street names either literally or in a subtle manner, shall not be so similar as to cause confusion between names, and shall not sound like existing street names when spoken. For example, Smith Street vs. Smythe Street, Oak Drive vs. Oak Place vs. Oak Court vs. Oak Circle, Cascade Drive vs. Cascading Drive, Lakeside Drive vs. Lake Side Drive vs. Lake Siding Drive, Oak Drive vs. Doak Drive vs. Cloak Drive, Lantern Way vs. Land Tern Way.
(d) 
New streets that extend existing streets shall bear the names of the existing streets. Streets crossing thoroughfares or other roadways shall bear the same name on both sides of the thoroughfare, wherever practical, unless otherwise approved by the city council.
(e) 
The property owner shall provide payment for street name signs for the development. The cost of each street name sign installation shall include the cost of the sign assembly, pole and the time for installation. Payment by the property owner will be due prior to approval of the engineering plans by the city engineer.
(f) 
Street name signs shall be installed in accordance with the city’s guidelines before issuance of a building permit for any structure on the streets approved within the subdivision.
(Ordinance 549, sec. 10.253, adopted 12/22/09)
(a) 
Requirements.
In general, the use of retaining walls shall be minimized, wherever possible, through minimal and balanced cut and fill on property. When property within or directly adjacent to a subdivision contains changes in elevation exceeding 2½ feet and the slope exceeds one unit vertical in two units horizontal, a retaining wall shall be required at the locations specified herein prior to the acceptance of the subdivision:
(1) 
Location A.
The grade change roughly follows a side or rear lot line.
(2) 
Location B.
The grade change is adjacent to a proposed building site boundary.
(3) 
Location C.
The grade change is adjacent to a watercourse or drainage easement.
(b) 
Design and construction.
All retaining wall design and construction shall be in compliance with the provisions of the building code and the DCM manual, and shall be approved by the city staff.
(c) 
Maintenance.
Retaining walls shall be maintained by the owner of the property where such retaining wall is located.
(d) 
Not to be parallel or within utility easement.
Retaining walls shall not be constructed parallel to and within any portion of a utility easement.
(Ordinance 549, sec. 10.254, adopted 12/22/09)
(a) 
Screening.
(1) 
Where subdivisions are platted so that the rear or side yards of single-family or two-family residential lots are adjacent to an arterial thoroughfare; a four-lane collector street; are separated from a thoroughfare by an alley; or back up to a collector or residential street, the developer shall provide, at his sole expense, screening according to the following alternatives and standards. All screening shall be adjacent to the right-of-way or property line and fully located on the private lots, including columns and decorative features. All forms of screening shall conform to the requirements of city ordinances and policies that govern sight distance for traffic safety.
(2) 
Screening alternatives.
Screening shall be provided in accordance with, and shall be constructed to, standards and criteria as set forth in the DCM manual and other related city ordinances and policies.
(3) 
A maintenance are five feet in width shall be required on the private lot side and adjacent to the screening wall or device. The property owner shall be responsible at its sole cost to maintain the screening wall and the area immediately adjacent to the wall in a neat and orderly fashion.
(4) 
The screening wall shall be installed prior to the final acceptance of the subdivision. Landscape materials may be installed after the subdivision is accepted, upon approval of the city manager, but in no case later than six months following acceptance of the subdivision.
(5) 
All plants, such as trees, shrubs and ground covers, shall be living and in sound, healthy, vigorous and growing condition, and they shall be of a size, fullness and height that is customary for their container or ball size, as per the latest edition of the “American Standard for Nursery Stock,” by the American Association of Nurserymen, as may be amended.
(6) 
All masonry, wood that must be sealed or painted, steel or aluminum screening wall or fence plans and details must be designed and sealed by a licensed professional engineer, and must be approved by the city engineer.
(7) 
Required wall heights, including spans between columns, shall be from at least six feet and no more than eight feet. Decorative columns, pilasters, stone caps, and other features may exceed the maximum eight-foot-height by up to 18 inches for a total maximum height of 9½ feet for these features, provided that such taller elements comprise no more than ten percent of the total wall length in elevation view.
(8) 
Screening fences, walls and devices shall not be constructed within any portion of a utility easement unless specifically authorized by the city or the applicable utility provider.
(b) 
Entryway features.
(1) 
Subdivisions in excess of ten platted lots may provide a low maintenance landscaped entryway feature at access points from streets and thoroughfares into the subdivision. The entryway feature shall be placed on private property and within an easement identified for such use, and shall observe all sight visibility requirements. Limited portions of the feature or landscaping may be placed within the right-of-way. Most of the feature or landscaping shall be located on private property so that long-term maintenance responsibility will be borne by the property owner or an approved homeowners’ association as required in section 32-118.
(2) 
Design requirements.
The entryway feature shall include low maintenance, living landscaped materials as approved by the city council. The design of the entryway feature shall also include an automatic underground irrigation system, and may also include subdivision identification, such as signage located on the wall. All plants shall be living and in a sound, healthy, vigorous and growing condition, and they shall be of a size, fullness and height that is customary for their container or ball size, as per the latest edition of the “American Standard for Nursery Stock,” by the American Association of Nurserymen, as may be amended. Any walls or structures used in the entryway feature must conform to the city’s regulations pertaining to maximum height within the front yard of residential lots required by chapter 40, zoning, wherever the adjacent lot sides onto the arterial street and the wall will be located within the front yard setback area.
(3) 
The design of the entryway shall be in accordance with design policies in the DCM manual. The design of the entry shall be reflected on the landscape and irrigation plans submitted along with the engineering plans and the preliminary plat, and shall be approved by the city council.
(4) 
The maintenance of the entryway shall be the responsibility of the applicant for a period of at least two years or until building permits have been issued for 80 percent of the lots in the subdivision, whichever date is later. Following that period of time, maintenance responsibility shall be borne by the private property owners upon whose lots the entryway feature is located, or by a homeowners’ association meeting the requirements of section 32-118. If, at some point in time, the maintenance responsibility shifts to the city, the city shall have the right to upgrade, reduce or eliminate entirely, at its sole option, the landscaping and other amenities in order to simplify or minimize the amount of time and effort that maintenance of the entryway will require.
(c) 
Landscaping.
All landscaping shall be in conformance with the any applicable ordinances or regulations adopted by the city.
(Ordinance 549, sec. 10.255, adopted 12/22/09)