Chapter 18 — Subdivisions and Land Development, Article 4 — DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR LOTS
Adequate Buildable Area Required.
Land subject to flooding, improper drainage or erosion, or that is unsuitable for residential use for topographical or other reasons, shall not be platted for residential use nor for any other use that will continue or increase the danger to health, safety, or of property destruction, unless the hazards can be and are corrected. Each lot shall contain an adequate building site not subject to flooding and outside the limits of any existing easements or setbacks required by this Code.
Lot Remnants Shall Not Be Permitted.
All remnants of lots below minimum size left over after subdividing of a larger tract must be added to adjacent lots, rather than allowed to remain as unusable parcels. The director of Planning and Community Development may permit a lot remnant for a specific purpose such as a detention pond, provided that access and design is appropriate and the lot remnant is restricted to specific non-building use.
Service Areas.
Commercial and industrial lots shall be adequate to provide service areas and off-street parking suitable to the use intended.
Lot Area.
The minimum lot area shall not be less than that established by the zoning district in which the subdivision is located.
Lot Width.
No portion of a lot shall be narrower than sixty feet (60), with the exception of cul-de-sac lots and lots on the inside of curves whose side property lines are perpendicular or radial to the road.
Side lot lines.
radial to curved street lines.
Corner Lots.
For residential corner lots, the front setback requirements established in Table 11.2(a)
and Table 11.2(b) shall be observed along both street frontages. The applicant shall designate the rear lot line.
Lot Depth.
Residential lots shall have a depth of not less than 100 feet, unless circumstances make these limitations impracticable.
Double Frontage Lots.
Double frontage and reverse frontage lots should be avoided except where essential to provide separation of residential development from arterials or overcome specific disadvantages of topography or orientation. A ten (10) foot no access easement shall be required along one of the frontages.
Locations Adjacent to Major Street.
Where a subdivision borders a freeway, a major arterial, or any other major source of noise, the subdivision should be designed to reduce noise in residential lots to a reasonable level via a landscaped buffer area or lots with greater depth from the major street to enable increased setbacks from the street. Double frontage lots with frontage on a major arterial shall have additional depth in order to allow space for screen planting along the lot line abutting a major arterial. The director may require a ten (10) foot no access easement for double frontage lots for the section of a lot abutting the major arterial.
Drainage.
Where the subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainage way, channel or stream, there shall be provided a stormwater or drainage easement of adequate width as determined by the Director of Engineering and as set forth in 18-5.15. Drainage shall also be designed in accord with Ordinance No. 75 (Stormwater Management Ordinance), the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual and the Forsyth County Addendum that provides the County with the authority to manage drainage. If there exists a conflict between this paragraph and Forsyth County’s stormwater management regulations, the stricter stormwater requirement shall control. Parallel streets may be required by the Planning Commission in connection therewith.
Natural Features and Assets.
In the subdividing of land, due regard shall be shown for all natural features, such as tree growth, watercourses, historic sites or similar conditions which, if preserved, will add attractiveness to the proposed development and safety from hazards.
Flag Lots and Tracts Prohibited.
No lot within a major subdivision plat shall be approved which constitutes a flag lot.
This article shall apply to major and minor subdivisions, unless specifically indicated otherwise.