The subdivider shall observe the following general requirements and principles of land subdivision:
A. 
Suitability of land. Land which the Planning Commission determines to be unsuitable for development because of vulnerability to flooding, poor drainage or the characteristics likely to be harmful to the safety, welfare or health of the future residents or to the public shall not be submitted unless adequate methods to correct all such hazards are devised and approved by the Planning Commission.
B. 
Conformity with official plans. All proposed subdivisions shall conform to any adopted plans for the town and shall be in accord with planning policies of the town and the county. The subdivider shall make available for public acquisition such lands in the area to be subdivided as are designated by official plans for parks, playgrounds and schools or other public buildings. Whenever said area includes any part of a major arterial or collector street as designated on an official plan, appropriate provision for the right-of-way thereof shall be incorporated in the subdivision plat.
C. 
Preservation of natural features. In the design of any subdivision, careful consideration will be given to preserving natural features and amenities and to the preservation of sites and buildings having historic value.
D. 
Private streets prohibited. There shall be no private streets platted in any subdivision. Each lot shall have direct frontage on and access to a dedicated public street.
E. 
Large tracts. Where land is subdivided into larger parcels than normal building lots, such parcels shall be arranged in such a way that future resubdivision is feasible.
F. 
Neighborhood consideration. Street and block layout shall be made with consideration of the most advantageous development of adjoining tracts and the entire neighborhood.
G. 
Advertising standards. A subdivider when advertising a subdivided tract of land for sale shall be specific as to the following items, whether officially approved water and sewage facilities are available or not.
In the layout of streets, the subdivider shall comply with the following:
A. 
Streets shall be coordinated with the existing street system and provision shall be made for continuity of principal streets as appropriate.
B. 
Where, in the opinion of the Planning Commission, it is desirable to provide for future street access to adjoining unsubdivided property, proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary of such property. Where one (1) or more lots front on any such street extension, a temporary turnaround shall be provided.
C. 
Local streets shall be so laid out that their use by through traffic will be discouraged.
D. 
All dead-end streets or culs-de-sac shall terminate in a turnaround having a minimum right-of-way diameter of one hundred (100) feet.
E. 
Less than full-width streets shall not be permitted, and boundary streets along the edge of the tract shall not be permitted unless required to provide right-of-way for streets and arterials designated by an official major street plan.
F. 
Where land in a proposed subdivision is adjacent to a major arterial highway, the Planning Commission may require marginal access streets, reverse frontage with screen planting contained in a non-access reservation along the rear property line or such other treatment as may be necessary for protection of residential properties and to afford separation of through and local traffic.
G. 
Alleys may be required at the rear of lots used for commercial and industrial purposes. In general, alleys shall not be platted in residential blocks unless the need for them can be demonstrated to the Planning Commission.
H. 
Street right-of-way widths shall not be less than the following:
Street Type
Right-of-Way Width
(feet)
Arterial
100
Collector
60
Local
50
Marginal access
40
Alley
20
Cul-de-sac turnaround
100 (in diameter)
I. 
In general, streets shall be planned in harmony with existing topography. Street grades shall be kept below twelve percent (12%) where practicable, and in no case exceed the maximum permissible grade prescribed by the Virginia Department of Highways. Minimum grade for all streets shall be one-half of one percent ( 1/2 of 1%) for drainage.
J. 
The horizontal and vertical alignment of all streets shall conform to standards approved by the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation. In no case shall a street have a curve radius of less than one hundred (100) feet, measured to the center line.
K. 
A tangent of at least two hundred (200) feet shall be provided between reverse curves on arterial streets and one hundred (100) feet on collector streets.
L. 
Streets shall intersect at right angles or as nearly so as practicable. In no case shall the angle of intersection be less than seventy-five degrees (75º) unless approved by the Planning Commission upon recommendation of the Resident Engineer for an unusual condition of terrain.
M. 
Street jogs or offsets at intersections shall be avoided.
N. 
Intersections with an arterial street shall be at least one thousand (1,000) feet apart, measured from center line to center line.
O. 
Property lines at street intersections shall be rounded with a radius of at least ten (10) feet or a greater radius where the Planning Commission determines such to be desirable for reasons of safety.
P. 
In cases where Virginia Department of Highways specifications are lacking or are less restrictive than the requirements of this chapter, this chapter shall prevail.
Q. 
The roadway shall be graded to thirty (30) feet, exclusive of side ditches.
R. 
Base for pavement shall be at least thirty (30) feet in width and six (6) inches in depth and be of stone, gravel or other satisfactory material approved by the Virginia Department of Highways.
S. 
Proposed streets which are obviously in alignment with other already existing and named streets shall bear the names of the existing streets. In no case shall the names of proposed streets duplicate existing street names irrespective of the use of the suffix street, avenue, boulevard, driveway, place, land or final plats, and shall be approved by the Administrator. Names of existing streets shall not be changed except by approval of the governing body.
T. 
A cross-section showing the proposed street construction, depth and type of base, type of surface, etc. shall be provided.
U. 
A profile or contour map showing the proposed grades for the streets and drainage facilities, including elevations of existing and proposed ground surface at all street intersections and at points of major grade change along the center line of streets, together with proposed grade lines connecting therewith, shall be provided.
The lengths, widths and shapes of blocks shall be determined with due regard to provision of adequate building sites suitable to the special needs of the type of use contemplated; requirements of Chapter 171, Zoning; convenience and safety of vehicular and pedestrian circulation; and convenient access to water areas.
A. 
The length of residential blocks shall generally not exceed one thousand six hundred (1,600) feet nor be less than three hundred (300) feet.
B. 
Provision for pedestrian walks across blocks may be required by easement or dedication when determined to be essential by the Planning Commission to provide circulation or convenient public access to facilities such as schools, parks and water areas.
C. 
Blocks shall have a minimum width of two hundred (200) feet and shall accommodate two (2) rows of lots, except that a single row of lots will be permitted adjacent to a water area or abutting an arterial highway which is not used for access to the lots.
[Amended 11-11-1996]
The size, shape and orientation of lots shall be appropriate for the location of the subdivision and the type of development and use contemplated.
A. 
Depth and width of parcels reserved or laid out for commercial and industrial purposes shall be adequate to provide for the off-street service and parking facilities required.
B. 
Side lot lines shall be substantially at right angles or radial to the street.
C. 
Corner lots shall have extra width as necessary to meet building line requirements on both streets.
D. 
The subdividing of land shall be such as to provide, by means of a public street, each lot with satisfactory access to an existing street.
E. 
All remnants of lots below minimum size left over after subdividing of a tract must be added to adjacent lots or otherwise disposed of rather than allowed to remain as unusable parcels.
F. 
Where the land covered by a subdivision includes two (2) or more parcels in separate ownership and lot arrangement is such that a property ownership line divides one (1) or more lots, the land in each lot so divided shall be transferred by deed to single ownership, simultaneously with the recording of the final plat. Said deed is to be deposited with the Clerk of the Court and held with the final plat until the subdivider is ready to record the same, and they both shall then be recorded together.
G. 
Lots intended for business or industrial use shall be designed specifically for such purposes with adequate space set aside for off-street parking and delivery facilities.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Sec. 8-5, Lot size, which immediately followed this section, was deleted 11-11-1996. For current provisions on this topic, see Ch. 171, Zoning.
Easements across lots or centered on rear or side lot lines shall be provided for utilities and surface drainage where necessary and shall be at least twelve (12) feet wide. The plat shall clearly state that it is the obligation of abutting property owners to keep all drainage ditches open along said easements, and this provision shall be included in the deed of each lot affected.