A. 
The requirements of the Subdivision Ordinance as set forth below are designed and intended to ensure that, for all subdivisions of land within the scope of the Subdivision Ordinance, all improvements required herein are installed properly and:
1. 
The City can provide for the orderly and economical extension of public facilities and services;
2. 
All purchasers of property within the subdivision shall have a usable, buildable parcel of land; and
3. 
All required improvements are constructed in accordance with City standards.
B. 
Adequate Public Facilities Policy.
The land to be divided or developed must be served adequately by essential pubic facilities and services. No subdivision shall be approved unless and until adequate public facilities exist or provision has been made for water facilities, wastewater facilities, drainage facilities, electricity and street facilities which are necessary to serve the development proposed, whether or not such facilities are to be located within the property being platted or off-site. This policy may be defined further and supplemented by other ordinances adopted by the City. Wherever the subject property abuts adjoining undeveloped land, or wherever required by the City to serve the public good, utilities shall be extended to adjacent property lines to allow connection of these utilities by adjacent property owners when such adjacent property is platted and/or developed.
C. 
Public improvements that are required by the City of Josephine for the acceptance of the subdivision by the City shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. 
Water and wastewater facilities;
2. 
Stormwater drainage, collection and conveyance facilities;
3. 
Water quality, erosion and sedimentation controls;
4. 
Streets;
5. 
Streetlights;
6. 
Street signs;
7. 
Alleys;
8. 
Sidewalks;
9. 
Screening and/or retaining walls;
10. 
Traffic-control devices required as part of the project;
11. 
Gas, Electric, Cable, Phone utilities installed; and
12. 
All appurtenances necessary to the above, and any other public facilities required as part of the proposed subdivision.
13. 
All applicable fees, including but not limited to water and sewer impact fees, roadway impact fees, park fees, pro rata payments, escrow funds for infrastructure, security and maintenance bonds.
D. 
All aspects of the design and implementation of public improvements shall comply with the City’s then current design standards and any other applicable City codes and ordinances, including preparation and submittal of engineering plans and construction inspection. The construction of all of the improvements required in this Ordinance shall conform to the latest edition of the City’s Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details, as may be amended, and to any other applicable City standards.
E. 
Changes or Amendments to the Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details and Other Construction or Design Documents. The Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details will, from time to time, require revisions and updates to allow for changing construction technology. When changes are required, the Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details may be amended by separate ordinance. It is the applicant’s responsibility to be aware of, and to conform with, all Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details requirements (including amendments) that are in place as of the time a complete development application for a preliminary plat (including required engineering/construction plans) is received by the City.
(Ordinance 2015-06-15 adopted 6/15/15)
A. 
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 five-eighths inch (5/8") in diameter and twenty-four inches (24") deep, and set six inches (6") below the ground surface. 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 (1/2") and eighteen inches (18") deep, and set flush with the top of the ground. In addition, all curve points in right-of-way lines shall be monumented by 5/8" diameter rods, twenty-four inches (24") deep, set six inches (6") below the ground surface. 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.
B. 
At least one corner of a subdivision that is being developed or redeveloped within the City’s corporate limits or ETJ shall be tied to the City’s approved vertical control monumentation. Details regarding the City’s vertical control monumentation are contained in Appendix 1 attached to [Ordinance 2015-06-15] and incorporated herein by reference for all purposes allowed by law. The Developer shall also establish two (2) permanent monuments per development (at points approved by the City Engineer) that shall be tied to the City’s approved vertical control monumentation.
(Ordinance 2015-06-15 adopted 6/15/15)
All street lighting shall be installed in conformance with the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Mercury vapor luminaries shall not be accepted. All fixtures shall be hooded in a way that directs all lighting downward.
(Ordinance 2015-06-15 adopted 6/15/15)
A. 
Street names must be submitted to the City, for review and approval. Proposed street names shall be submitted for review 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(s) 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.
D. 
New streets which 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. A cul-de-sac or loop that is named after another through street must actually connect to the main street from which the name is derived.
E. 
The property owner shall install all street name signs for the development. Each street name sign installation shall include sign assembly, pole and installation. Installation shall be complete prior to approval of the engineering plans by the City Engineer.
F. 
Street name signs as specified by the City 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 2015-06-15 adopted 6/15/15)
A. 
Retaining Wall 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 two and one-half feet (2.5') 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. 
Retaining Wall Design and Construction.
All retaining wall design and construction shall be in compliance with the provisions of the Building Code and the Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details of the City of Josephine, and shall be approved by the Building Official.
C. 
Retaining Wall Maintenance.
Retaining walls shall be maintained by the owner of the property where such retaining wall is located.
D. 
Retaining walls shall not be constructed parallel to and/or within any portion of a utility easement.
(Ordinance 2015-06-15 adopted 6/15/15)
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 (greater than sixty feet (60') in right-of-way width on the Thoroughfare Plan); a four (4) lane collector street; are separated from a thoroughfare by an alley; or back up to a collector or residential street (which is not allowed unless specifically approved by City Council), the developer shall provide, at his or her sole expense, screening according to the following alternatives and standards. All screening including columns and decorative features shall be adjacent to the right-of-way and fully located on the private lot(s), within a separate lot or within a landscape easement assigned to the Homeowners’ Association across several lots. All forms of screening shall conform to the requirements of City ordinances and policies that govern sight distance for traffic safety.
2. 
Screening Construction.
Screening shall be provided in accordance with, and shall be constructed to, standards and criteria as set forth in the City’s Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details and other related City code(s) and policy(s).
3. 
A maintenance easement at least five feet (5') in width shall be dedicated to the Homeowners’ Association on the private lot side and adjacent to the screening wall or device.
4. 
The screening wall shall be installed prior to approval of the final plat and prior to final acceptance of the subdivision. Landscape materials may be installed before the subdivision is accepted, upon approval of the City Engineer.
5. 
All plants, such as trees, shrubs and ground covers, shall be maintained by the Homeowners’ Association living and in sound, healthy, vigorous and growing condition. All plant beds shall be irrigated, with meters charged to the Homeowners’ Association.
6. 
All masonry and steel screening wall plans and details must be designed and sealed by a Texas licensed professional engineer, and must be approved by the Building Official.
7. 
Required height of screening devices, including spans between columns, shall be a minimum of six feet (6') and shall be no more than eight feet (8') tall. Decorative columns, pilasters, stone caps, sculptural elements, and other features may exceed the maximum eight foot (8') height by up to two feet (2') for a total maximum height of ten feet (10') for these features, provided that such taller elements comprise no more than ten percent (10%) of the total wall length in elevation view. Features that are taller than ten feet (10') in height shall require City Council approval.
8. 
Screening walls and devices shall not be constructed within any portion of a utility easement unless specifically authorized by the City and other applicable utility provider.
B. 
Entryway Features (neighborhood identification).
1. 
Subdivisions may provide a 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. Entryway features shall observe all sight visibility requirements. All features 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 (see Section 4.3). Entryway features that are located within City right-of-way shall only be allowed with City Council approval. Prior to City Council approval, the applicant will execute an agreement with the City that relieves the City of maintenance responsibility and that indemnifies and holds the City harmless for damage or injury incurred by or in conjunction with such features in the right-of-way.
2. 
Design Requirements.
The entryway feature shall include low maintenance, living landscaped materials as approved by the City. 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 (see the Zoning Ordinance) 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 City’s Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details. The design of the entryway 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.
4. 
The maintenance of the entryway shall be the responsibility of the applicant for a period of at least two (2) years or until building permits have been issued for ninety percent (90%) of the lots in the subdivision, whichever event is later. Following that period of time, maintenance responsibility shall be borne by the private property owner(s) upon whose lot(s) the entryway feature is located, or by an approved Homeowners Association (see Section 4.3). 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, effort and cost that maintenance of the entryway requires.
C. 
Landscaping.
All landscaping shall conform with the City’s Zoning Ordinance, and as interpreted and approved by the City staff.
D. 
Signage.
All signage shall conform with the City’s Sign Regulations.
(Ordinance 2015-06-15 adopted 6/15/15)
A. 
The installation of all water and wastewater lines shall be in conformance with Section 3.9 of this Ordinance.
B. 
No final plat shall be approved for any subdivision within the City or its extraterritorial jurisdiction until the applicant has made adequate provision for a water system and a sanitary sewer system of sufficient capacity to adequately provide service to all tracts and lots within the area to be subdivided. The design and construction of the water system and of the sanitary sewer system to serve the subdivision shall be in conformance with the City’s master plans for water and wastewater facilities and with the City’s Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details, and shall be approved by the City Engineer (see also Section 3.9, above).
C. 
A water system with mains of sufficient size and having a sufficient number of outlets to furnish adequate and safe domestic water supply and to furnish fire protection to all lots shall be provided. Water lines shall extend to the property line in order to allow future connections into adjacent undeveloped property, and a box for the water meter(s) for each lot shall be installed either in the right-of-way or immediately adjacent to the right-of-way in an easement.
D. 
Services for utilities shall be made available to the property line of each lot in such a manner as will minimize the necessity for disturbing the street pavement and drainage structures when connections are made.
E. 
Fire protection shall be provided in accordance with Section 3.9 of this Ordinance, the City’s Design Manuals and Standard Construction Details Manual, and any other City policy or ordinance pertaining to fire protection or suppression. The Fire Chief shall have the authority to approve the locations and placement of all fire hydrants and fire lanes and he or she may, at his or her discretion, modify fire hydrant spacing or fire lane placement based upon special design or distance circumstances.
(Ordinance 2015-06-15 adopted 6/15/15)
A. 
When a proposed subdivision, whether residential or nonresidential, abuts on one or both sides of an existing substandard street, or on a planned or future road as shown on the Thoroughfare Plan, being substandard according to the then existing current Thoroughfare Plan, the developer shall be required to improve his or her pro-rata share of the existing on-site facility as that term is defined herein, including appurtenant sidewalks, screening and landscaping, storm drainage structures, water quality or erosion controls, and other on-site facilities as defined in Section 1.14, to bring the same to City standards, or to replace it with a standard City street as determined by the traffic impact analysis, if required, and at no cost to the City.
B. 
The developer’s share of improvements to a substandard perimeter road shall be at least twenty-five feet (25') of pavement (including curb, if any), which is approximately equivalent to one-half (1/2) of a collector street width (i.e., two through traffic lanes), along the entire front footage of the subdivision, unless the traffic impact analysis, if required, indicates that some other pavement width is necessary to achieve and maintain an acceptable level of service on the roadway. If the subdivision is to be located on both sides of the roadway, at least twenty-five feet (25') of pavement shall be constructed by the developer on each side of the road along the entire front footage of the subdivision on each respective side of the road, unless the traffic impact analysis indicates that some other pavement width is necessary to achieve and maintain an acceptable level of service on the roadway. Design and construction of the roadway shall be in accordance with the City’s Thoroughfare Plan (with respect to right-of-way width and general location), the Design Manuals, and with any other applicable City codes and ordinances. Depending upon the specific roadway in question, and upon the traffic impact analysis results, any oversizing above the minimum twenty-five feet (25') width may be borne by the City, the County, the State or by some other entity to the extent that the cost of oversizing exceeds the subdivision’s roughly proportionate impact. The City Council may, at its option, accept escrow funds in lieu of immediate roadway construction if the subdivision derives principal access from another improved roadway and if delaying construction and improvement of the road will not harm or otherwise inconvenience neighboring property owners or the general public.
C. 
Streets which dead-end at power lines or similar rights-of-way or easements, and which are intended for future extension across these rights-of-way or easements, shall be constructed in the right-of-way or easement for half the distance across the right-of-way or easement, and shall be further restricted as set forth in Section 3.1 of this Ordinance. As with any other dead- end street, a note shall be placed on the final plat clearly labeling the dead-end streets that will, at some point, be extended across the power line easement (or right-of-way), and signage shall be placed at the end of the constructed street stub, such as on the barricade, also stating that the street will be extended in the future. Signage size and lettering shall be in accordance with the City requirements.
(Ordinance 2015-06-15 adopted 6/15/15)
A. 
An adequate storm sewer system consisting of inlets, pipes and other underground structures with approved outlets shall be constructed where runoff of stormwater and the prevention of erosion cannot be accomplished satisfactorily by surface drainage facilities. Areas subject to flood conditions or inadvertent stormwater retention, such as standing or pooling water, as determined by the City Engineer, will not be considered for development until adequate drainage has been provided.
B. 
The criteria for use in designing storm sewers, culverts, bridges, drainage channels, and drainage facilities shall conform to Section 3.10 of this Ordinance. In no case shall drainage areas be diverted artificially to adjacent properties or across roadways. Stormwater drainage from one lot onto another shall not be allowed unless such does not pose any harm or inconvenience to the downstream property owner(s), unless specifically approved by the City Engineer, and unless the necessary off-site drainage easement is procured on and across the affected property(s).
C. 
The developer shall ensure that all drainage improvements within public easements or rights-of-way are functioning properly prior to the expiration of the maintenance bond. The developer shall be responsible for removing any significant build-up of sediment or debris from drainage improvements, with the exception of backyard and side yard drainage swales, at the eleventh month of the second year for the required two-year maintenance bond for the applicable facilities. The City shall inspect the improvements to determine any maintenance or correction of deficiencies at the conclusion of this period.
(Ordinance 2015-06-15 adopted 6/15/15)