This article provides standards and guidelines for designing streets serving conservation subdivisions.
(A)Location and Alignment. Designers should avoid crossing wetlands with streets where possible.
Existing farm roads should be incorporated into conservation subdivision designs. Roads should follow existing contours with a minimum of cut and fills and disturbance for construction. In cases where agricultural protection or meadow preservation is a primary objective, new roads should be placed along the edge of a field, rather than through the middle, so as to be less intrusive on the open space character of the tract.
(B)Lengths and Curves. The length of roads should be minimized to reduce costs and aesthetic impacts.
Long, straight road segments should be avoided. Curvilinear designs are preferred for rural conservation subdivisions. Streets should be curved and aligned to produce vistas of open space elements, where possible. Short, straight, interconnected streets (i.e., grid patterns) are appropriate for clustered home sites within conservation subdivisions.
(C)Separate Travel Lanes. Where necessary, the directional travel lanes should split or curve apart to protect natural features. In cases where travel lanes are split or curve apart, the minimum width of each travel lane should be ten (10) feet in paved width.
(D)Right-of-Way and Clearance. Rights-of-ways should be only wide enough to accommodate the required street width improvement, adequate shoulder bases for utilities, bikeways and/or walkways, and open storm drainage ditches at appropriate bank slope. Drainage easements may be provided in lieu of expanding the right-of-way for drainage ditches if approved by the Director of Engineering. The entire right-of-way may not necessarily have to be cleared if it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Director of Engineering that remaining trees or other features do not pose a traffic safety hazard.
(E)Connections. Streets shall be connected with one another unless doing so involves traversing designated Conservation Areas; preferably streets connect in three-way intersections, so that the number of dead ends are minimized. An exception will be allowed when a street connection would cross conservation areas and break up open space, in which case 19-6.1(F) provisions shall govern.
Whenever possible, streets shall be designed to connect with adjoining properties.
(F)Cul-de-Sacs. Traditional cul-de-sacs are discouraged. Cul-de-sacs create large expanse of impervious cover and increase the amount of stormwater runoff. As such, street loops and/or cul-de-sac with planted centers meet the intent and purpose of Conservation Subdivision districts and are strongly encouraged for non-connecting street ends. Cul-de-sacs with planted centers shall increase in diameter to accommodate the planted center. All plans for cul-de-sacs with planted centers shall be approved by the Department of Engineering.
(G)Reverse Curves. For roads serving less than 2,000 average daily trips and where speed limits are controlled to prevent high-speed traffic, reverse curves (consecutive left and right curves without a straight segment separating them) are considered appropriate and may be encouraged, subject to the approval of the Director of Engineering.
(H)Single-Loading Streets. “Single-loading streets” (i.e., having houses only on one side) are considered appropriate and encouraged, particularly around open space or active amenity areas.
(I)Curbs and Drainage. Curbs and gutters shall be required and installed in accordance with Forsyth County Construction Standards and Specifications, unless otherwise approved by the Director of Engineering.
(J)Street Trees. Street tree plantings are encouraged, provided that they are located so as not to present a traffic safety hazard, as determined by the Director of Engineering.
(K)Sidewalks. Concrete or asphalt sidewalks may detract from the character of rural conservation subdivisions. The use of pervious materials is strongly encouraged. Safe access for pedestrians and/or bicyclists shall be provided via trails in the open space and where needed along the improved or semi-improved shoulders of roads. No trail located within open space may include impervious materials.
ARTICLE VII, PROCEDURES:
In addition to the application procedures for zoning approval, sketch plat approval, preliminary and final plat approval, as specified in Chapter 18 of this Code, conservation subdivisions shall comply with the following procedures.