A. 
Permit Required. The construction, modification, or repair of public streets, sidewalks, and utilities located within a public right-of-way, and all other development activities occurring within a public right-of-way shall require a permit and approved plans.
B. 
Application Requirements. Applications shall be made on forms provided by the city and shall include all of the information required by the form in addition to all of the items listed below.
1. 
Vicinity map showing the location of existing arterial streets adjoining the proposed improvement or within the immediate vicinity of the improvement;
2. 
Name, address, and phone number of permit applicant;
3. 
Name, address, and phone number of engineer, contractor, or agent;
4. 
A complete set of plans depicting the proposed work and including any information, details, or specifications requested by the public works director. Unless waived by the public works director, all plans shall be prepared by a civil engineer licensed in the state of Washington.
C. 
Plan Requirements. Unless waived or modified by the public works director, plans shall, at a minimum, include all of the following:
1. 
Width and location of existing streets adjoining the improvement;
2. 
Property lines, right-of-way lines and easement lines with dimensions and north arrow;
3. 
Location of street improvement and appurtenances including driveways, properly dimensioned and stationed along the centerline and location and stationing of all horizontal angle points and horizontal curve data;
4. 
Location of all existing and proposed overhead and underground utilities, including storm and sanitary sewers, water courses, railroad crossings, structures within the right-of-way, trees, and all pertinent topographic features, including location and elevations of all survey bench marks;
5. 
Suitable title plate on each drawing with street name, name and address of developer, scale, date and the name, address and telephone number and stamp of the registered engineer or land surveyor responsible for the plan preparation;
6. 
Street profiles for individual street sections including the following information:
a. 
Street centerline stationing and vertical elevations,
b. 
A two- or three-line profile showing the existing ground surface along the street centerline and proposed top of curb and street centerline profiles,
c. 
Slope of the street between grade changes and vertical curve information,
d. 
Centerline profile of intersecting streets a minimum of 100 feet each side of street improvement and profile of all driveways with grades greater than eight percent,
e. 
Suitable title plate on each drawing with street name, name and address of developer, vertical and horizontal scale, date and the name, address, telephone number and stamp of the registered engineer or land surveyor responsible for the plan preparation;
7. 
Structural details shall include properly dimensioned details of curbs and gutters, street cross sections, drainage facilities, retaining walls and all major structures to be constructed within the right-of-way;
8. 
Information and specifications for telecommunications conduit and vaults.
(Ord. 959 § 4, 1980; Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023)
A. 
Applicability. This section shall apply whenever a permit is required for the following actions:
1. 
Clearing, grading, cutting, boring, trenching, excavation, or the construction or modification of utilities within a city right-of-way or a future city right-of-way identified in the capital facilities or transportation elements of the city's comprehensive plan;
2. 
Land divisions, including subdivisions, short subdivisions, and binding site plans;
3. 
The construction of new residential and nonresidential buildings;
4. 
Any development involving the construction or establishment of public or private streets.
B. 
As a condition of permit approval fiber optic telecommunications conduit and vaults shall be installed or constructed in accordance with the requirements of this section.
C. 
Unless otherwise specified by the public works director or city engineer fiber optic telecommunications conduit and vaults shall be provided along any streets, alleys, sidewalks, or pedestrian paths that are disturbed, constructed or established in conjunction with the development activities identified in subsection (A) of this section.
D. 
For proposals involving land divisions or the construction of new residential or nonresidential buildings telecommunications conduit shall be provided between the demarcation point(s) associated with the proposed buildings and adjacent rights-of-way. If city telecommunications conduit exists in the adjacent right-of-way, the conduit serving the development shall be connected to the existing conduit. If no conduit exists in the adjacent right-of-way a vault shall be provided in the adjacent right-of-way and the conduit serving the new development shall terminate in the vault.
E. 
Conduit shall be four-inch diameter for primary telecommunication paths and two-inch diameter for secondary paths. Vaults shall be located at intervals of no more than 500 feet. Conduit shall be placed at horizontal and vertical locations as determined by the public works director. Conduits shall be labeled for identification and provided with pull strings. The conduit shall conform to the size, shape and characteristics as determined by the public works director based on an evaluation of industry standards.
F. 
Conduit and vaults installed within a city right-of-way, and accepted by the city, shall become the property of the city of Burlington. For conduit and vaults located on private property the property owner shall be responsible for all maintenance.
G. 
Any abandoned, unmarked or unused conduit and/or vaults located within the city right-of-way shall become the property of the city following 60 days' notice posted at the approximate location of the conduit, and following reasonable efforts by the city public works director to contact the last known owner of said conduit and/or vaults. If reasonable efforts by the public works director fail to identify the last known presumed owner of said conduit and/or vaults, then the public works director shall publish a notice in the legal newspaper for the city of Burlington notifying the public of the city's intent to take possession of the applicable conduit and/or vaults, and shall provide 60 days' notice of said possession.
H. 
All conduit and vaults installed within the city right-of-way shall be properly labeled and identified as determined by the public works director. An "as built" drawing shall be provided to the public works director on the completion and/or inspection of the completed work.
I. 
Applicability to Service Providers. This section shall apply to "service providers" as defined in RCW 35.99.010 except as modified by RCW 35.99.070.
(Ord. 1810 § 1, 2015; Ord. 1904 § 1 (Exh. A), 2021; Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023; Ord. 1805 § 1, 2014)
Streets shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the following general requirements:
A. 
Streets shall be designed to provide vehicular access according to the street classification to, from and through the service area;
B. 
Street widths shall be adequate to provide access for emergency vehicles, firefighting equipment, garbage trucks and city service vehicles;
C. 
Whenever possible streets shall be used to collect runoff from adjacent properties in the service area and divert it into storm drain systems;
D. 
Whenever possible new streets shall align with the existing street grid. New streets shall intersect existing streets at an approximate 90-degree angle;
E. 
Vertical clearance of structures or vegetation above a paved roadway shall be 16-1/2 feet. Vertical clearance of structures or vegetation above a sidewalk or walkway surface shall be eight feet;
F. 
Lateral clearance between the curb or edge of street shoulder and the closest part of any fixed object (excluding traffic control signs and breakaway supports) shall be at least three feet;
G. 
Traffic control devices shall conform to the Washington State Department of Transportation Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, latest edition;
H. 
Ramps for Handicapped. Curb ramps for physically handicapped persons shall be included in all construction in accordance with the laws of the state of Washington;
I. 
Roadway Geometrics. Street designs shall be based on accepted engineering practices and current standards of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials;
J. 
Design Year. Twenty years after the year construction is completed;
K. 
Street Intersections. Gutter drainage should not be allowed to cross any intersections on major, secondary or collector arterials;
L. 
Transit Stops. Concrete pads shall be provided to accommodate the installation of transit stops or shelters in accordance with any plans or specifications adopted by the Skagit Transit Authority (SKAT).
(Ord. 959 § 5, 1980; Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023)
Major arterials shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the following requirements:
A. 
Access conditions; intersections at grade with traffic signals at all major intersections; traffic channelization at all major intersections or driveways; parking restricted within road right-of-way; access control to adjoining properties according to the following conditions:
1. 
One driveway per lot or driveways spaced a minimum of 150 lineal feet apart,
2. 
No driveways within 150 lineal feet of street intersections,
3. 
Driveway width 24 feet minimum, 36 feet maximum;
B. 
Average daily traffic. 5,000 to 25,000 vehicles per day;
C. 
Right-of-way width: 80 feet minimum;
D. 
Traffic lane width criteria:
Two-way traffic
12 feet minimum
Turn lane
12 feet minimum
Shoulders
8 feet minimum
Bus lane
12 feet minimum
E. 
Pavement width (two-way traffic):
With curbs
48 feet measured to face of curb
With shoulders
56 feet
F. 
Horizontal curvature: minimum centerline radius = 955 feet;
G. 
Maximum grade = 6 percent; minimum grade = 0.5 percent;
H. 
Road surface cross slope: 2.5 percent minimum;
I. 
Curb radii at intersections = 25 feet minimum;
J. 
Curb type: APWA Type A;
K. 
Sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of the street and shall have a minimum width of 10 feet;
L. 
Buffer strips with a minimum width of five feet shall be provided between the curb and sidewalk.
(Ord. 959 § 5, 1980; Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023)
Secondary arterials shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the following requirements:
A. 
Access conditions: intersections at grade with traffic channelization at major intersections; driveways within 150 feet of an intersection may be prohibited if there are potential traffic hazards. The extent of the potential traffic hazard shall be determined by the city engineer;
B. 
Average daily traffic: 1,500 to 10,000 vehicles per day;
C. 
Right-of-way width: 60 feet minimum;
D. 
Traffic lane width criteria:
Two way traffic
11 feet minimum
Turn lane
12 feet minimum
Shoulders
8 feet minimum
Parking lane
10 feet minimum
Bus lane
12 feet minimum
E. 
Pavement width (two-way traffic):
With curbs
44 feet measured to face of curb
With shoulders
52 feet
F. 
Horizontal curvature: minimum centerline radius = 820 feet;
G. 
Maximum grade = 6 percent; minimum grade = 0.5 percent;
H. 
Road surface cross slope: 2.5 percent minimum;
I. 
Curb radius at intersections = 20 feet minimum;
J. 
Curb type: APWA Type A;
K. 
Sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of the street as follows:
1. 
Pedestrian amenity streets, minimum width: 10 feet;
2. 
All other secondary arterials, minimum width: eight feet.
(Ord. 959 § 5, 1980; Ord. 1326 § 1, 1996; Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023)
Collector arterials shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the following requirements:
A. 
Access conditions: intersections at grade with stop signs at major cross streets; driveways within 150 feet of an intersection may be prohibited if there are potential traffic hazards. The extent of the potential traffic hazard shall be determined by the city engineer in his sole discretion;
B. 
Average daily traffic: 1,000 to 5,000 vehicles per day;
C. 
Right-of-way width: 60 feet minimum;
D. 
Traffic lane width criteria:
Two-way traffic
11 feet minimum
Parking lane
8 feet minimum
Bus lane
12 feet minimum
E. 
Pavement width (two-way traffic):
With curbs
36 feet measured to face of curb
With shoulders
44 feet
F. 
Horizontal curvature: minimum centerline radius = 715 feet;
G. 
Maximum grade = 7 percent; minimum grade = 0.4 percent;
H. 
Road surface cross slope = 2.78 percent minimum;
I. 
Curb radius at intersections = 20 feet minimum;
J. 
Curb type: APWA Type A or D;
K. 
Sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of the street as follows:
1. 
Pedestrian amenity streets, minimum width: 10 feet;
2. 
All other collector arterials, minimum width: six feet.
(Ord. 959 § 5, 1980; Ord. 1326 § 2, 1996; Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023)
Access streets shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the following requirements:
A. 
Access conditions: intersections at grade with stop signs at all major cross streets; driveways within 150 feet of an intersection may be prohibited if there are potential traffic hazards. The extent of the potential traffic hazard shall be determined by the city engineer in his sole discretion;
B. 
Average daily traffic: 500 vehicles per day or less;
C. 
Right-of-way width: 50 feet minimum;
D. 
Traffic lane width criteria:
Two-way traffic
10 feet minimum
Parking lane
8 feet minimum;
E. 
Pavement width (two-way traffic):
With curbs and parking both sides
36 feet measured to face of curbs
With curbs and parking one side
32 feet
With shoulders (five feet each side)
34 feet total width
F. 
Horizontal curvature: minimum centerline radius = 410 feet;
G. 
Maximum grade = 12 percent; minimum grade = 0.4 percent;
H. 
Road surface cross slope = 2.78 percent;
I. 
Curb radius at intersections = 10 feet minimum;
J. 
Curb type: APWA Type A or D;
K. 
Cul-de-sacs:
Length
300 feet maximum
Diameter
90 feet – residential zone
100 feet – commercial zone
L. 
Sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of the street and shall have a minimum width of five feet.
(Ord. 959 § 5, 1980; Ord. 1326 § 3, 1996; Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023)
A. 
All streets shall be designed to provide a useful life span of 20 years without excessive maintenance. Major, secondary and collector arterials shall be designed and stamped by a civil engineer registered in the state of Washington. Accepted engineering practices shall be employed in the street designs. Soil, drainage and traffic conditions shall be considered in the design.
B. 
Access streets shall be subject to the following minimum design and construction standards:
1. 
Asphalt concrete surfacing:
a. 
Three inches Class B asphalt concrete placed in two lifts of one and one-half inches;
b. 
One and one-half inches crushed rock base;
c. 
Eight inches pit run gravel ballast.
2. 
Portland cement concrete pavement:
a. 
Five inches 4,000 psi PC concrete on compacted subgrade.
C. 
Adequate storm sewers shall be provided for all streets.
(Ord. 959 § 5, 1980; Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023)
The city council may adopt detailed street plans for specific geographic areas or individual street segments. In such cases the geometric and structural design standards identified in the adopted detailed street plan shall apply.
(Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023)
Appeals of decisions made pursuant to this chapter shall be filed and processed in accordance with the applicable procedures identified in BMC Title 14A.
(Ord. 1933 § 1 (Exh. A), 2023)