7.10. SR 05-17-1993 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ordinance Amendment, Section 1008.14 May II, 1993 Page 2 ------------------------------------ . Commissioner Kuester voted against the 700 feet. Commissioner Kuester felt 500 feet was more appropriate since the school allows children to walk up to 500 feet to a bus stop. The Planning Commission also recommended that language be added to the ordinance that allows exceptions to the 700 feet without having to go through the variance process. Summarized, that language allows longer cul-de-sacs when they are temporary and would be eliminated when adjoining property is subdivided; or due to the lay of the land, longer cul-de-sacs would be needed to fully develop the property. There are two ordinance amendments attached that reflect this recommendation (ordinance A and B). When To Allow Cul-de-sacs During the review of recent plats, the issue has been raised whether or not these plats contain too many cul-de-sacs. Currently, staff has no guidance in the City subdivision ordinance to recommend against cul-de-sacs unless they are dangerous or adversely impact traffic flow. e Developers argue that cul-de-sacs create neighborhoods and more desirable lots that will accommodate higher valued houses. People that desire lots on cul-de-sacs argue they are safer and more private. Negative impacts of cul-de-sacs include extra maintenance costs (snow plowing), additional travel time for school busses, confusion for addressing, possibly being a problem for emergency response, and poor traffic flow from one neighborhood to the next. Ordinance Amendment A states that cul-de-sacs are undesirable and allows the City to limit their number if they cause negative impacts regarding traffic flow or emergency vehicles. If it is the desire of the City Council to further limit the number of cul-de-sacs, the language in this ordinance amendment that allows cul-de-sacs to exceed 700 feet could be used to state when the City will allow cul-de-sacs in general (when they are temporary or when, due to the lay of the land, they are needed to fully develop the property). This would give staff a rational during concept review to tell developers to redesign their plats and eliminate cul-de-sacs. e Staff is not recommending the City drastically limit the number of cul-de-sacs. Staff feels the benefits of cul-de-sacs outweigh the disadvantages as long as good traffic flow is maintained and cul-de-sacs that create dangerous situations are not allowed. Staff is recommending Ordinance Amendment B. The Planning Commission did not have a clear consensus on this issue.