Article I — General Provisions

• A. This chapter is adopted pursuant to the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act.

• B. All land divisions in the city of Highland as hereinafter defined are subject to all of the applicable provisions of the Subdivision Map Act and this chapter.

• C. The city engineer and the community development director (as a committee) shall formulate such rules, procedures, and interpretations as may be necessary or convenient to administer this division. The city engineer and community development director (as a committee) are hereby authorized to incorporate further amendments into the subdivision manual provided such amendments are consistent with this division, that all such amendments are made in writing and maintained in an indexed file by topic and date; and further provided, that the Subdivision Map Act does not require that such amendments be adopted by ordinance or resolution of the city council. Copies of the current subdivision manual shall be on file in the office of the city clerk and be made available to the public at a cost sufficient to pay for printing.

• (Ord. 171 § 17.1, 1994)

• A. Private Streets. Private streets shall not be offered for dedication to public use. All private streets shall meet the width requirements and shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements approved by the city engineer.

When a special design for a cul-de-sac, length of a street terminating in a cul-de-sac, landscaped median, or any other improvement design is proposed and is not provided for in this chapter or in the city improvement standards, the design shall be submitted to the city engineer for approval.

Improvement plans, agreements and bonds shall be required for private streets in accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter.

• B. Street Grade. Street grades for local streets may exceed 12 percent only when engineering design shows that the grade proposed is safe and that the lesser grade would deny access to land appropriate for use subject to the approval of the fire department.

Street grades of less than one-half percent may be approved only when engineering design shows that local drainage provisions are adequate and steeper gradients cannot be obtained. The utilization of combinations of steep and minimum gradelines as a means of generating embankment materials for on-site tract grading to the detriment of street maintenance and good engineering design will not be approved. Every effort shall be made to design street grades which will be in conformance with the existing terrain.

• C. Street Alignment. All street intersections shall be at right angles, plus or minus five degrees, unless otherwise approved by the city engineer.

Centerline offsets of less than 200 feet shall not be permitted, except that in special design cases offsets of less than five feet may be used when approved by the city engineer.

1. Curb Returns.

   • a. A minimum curb return radius of 25 feet shall be provided at the intersecting streets designated as collector or local streets.

• b. A minimum curb return radius of 35 feet shall be provided when one or both of the intersecting streets is designated as a minor arterial street or greater.

• c. In hillside areas, the curb return radius may be modified if required because of the topography.

Corner cutbacks shall be established as provided in city standards.

• D. Alleys. Improved alleys not less than 20 feet in width may be approved at the rear of all lots intended for industrial, commercial, and multiple-family uses.

Alley intersections shall have minimum corner cutbacks of 25 feet.

Dead-end alleys shall provide an adequate turnaround for emergency vehicles as required by the municipal code.

• E. Lots. Lot size shall be not less than the minimum required by the zoning classification applicable to the subject property, and shall be consistent with the Highland general plan.

When lots are crossed by public utility easements, each lot shall have a net usable area of not less than 3,600 square feet, exclusive of the utility easement.

Side lot lines shall be at right angles to the street center line, except where terrain or other restrictions make such design impractical.

The minimum lot frontage on a knuckle or cul-de-sac street shall be 35 feet measured along the property line unless otherwise specified in the development standards of the zoning classification.

Lot frontage along curvilinear streets may be measured at the building setback line in accordance with development standards of the zoning classifications.

Cul-de-sac streets shall be extended to the far side, side property line of all adjacent lots unless otherwise approved by the approving authority.

• F. Exclusions.

  1. Any contiguous property that is owned by the land divider shall be included within the boundaries of a land division when necessary or desirable in the design or improvement of the land division.

  2. Any contiguous property that is owned by the land divider, but not included within the boundaries of the land division, shall be of such size and shape as to conform to the provisions of this code, the Highland general plan, or any applicable specific plan; otherwise it shall be included within the boundaries of the land division.

• G. Required Access.

  1. No final map or parcel map shall be recorded unless adequate access is provided from each parcel of the land division to a road maintained for public use by: a city, county, county service area, community service district, state or federal government agency.

  2. Public access from a road maintained by a property owner's association may be considered as access if the planning commission determines that:

     • a. The association has the unqualified right and legal responsibility to maintain the road pursuant to recorded conditions, covenants and restrictions;

     • b. Such requirement cannot be amended or terminated without the consent of the city of Highland; and

     • c. No other feasible means of guaranteeing maintenance of the road for public use is available.

  3. The requirement for public access may be waived by the planning commission under the following circumstance:

     • a. If a parcel map creates four or fewer parcels and public access over intervening lands cannot be offered for dedication, an appurtenant private easement for ingress, egress, roadway, and public utility purposes may be approved; provided, that all of the following are found to be true:

       • i. The land to be divided is not zoned for commercial, industrial or multipleresidential use;

       • ii. No parcel under one acre in size is created unless only two additional parcels are being created;

       • iii. If no improvements are required, the private easement is no less than 20 feet in width, is duly recorded, and is perpetual in duration, and is not subject to liens and encumbrances which might impair or defeat its purpose. If improvements are required, a minimum of 40 feet is required; and

       • iv. The access easement owned by the land divider is not an exclusive easement or specifically written to prohibit further division of the land.

• b. If the subdivision map has been previously recorded which permitted private streets without offering the streets for dedication, a private road easement may be approved provided said easement grants the new lots unrestricted access rights to the existing private streets.

  4. Public access is not required if each parcel created is 40 acres or more or is a quarter of a quarter section.

• (Ord. 171 § 17.2, 1994; Ord. 270 § 12, 2001)