§ 16.12

Subdivisions shall be designed in conformance with the following standards of design and any applicable standards for the zone in which the property is located, as identified in Title 17 (Zoning Regulations). Deviations from these standards may be requested pursuant to Section 16.12.260 (Deviations from Standards of Design).

(Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

Subdivisions shall be designed and improved so as to be consistent with the General Plan and any applicable adopted specific plan and the objectives, policies, and general land uses and programs specified therein.

(Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

• A. Tentative map boundaries shall be drawn to include all area of all abutting lots which are owned by the same property owner and proposed for boundary alteration. However, when any land is proposed to be divided in such a way that the subdivision will include a portion of land owned by the same property owner and proposed for boundary alteration, any portion with a contiguous gross area of five acres or more which is not proposed to be included within the subdivision may be identified by reference on the tentative map.

• B. A portion of a tentative parcel map may be designated as a remainder for the purpose of an exception to the survey requirements, in compliance with the following provisions:

  1. Any remainder shall have a gross area of five acres or more;

  2. Any remainder so designated shall not be considered to be a building site; and

  3. Any remainder so designated shall not be improved with any building or structure that is subject to the requirements of the Uniform Building Code.

• C. Whenever a parcel of real property lies partially within the City and partially within an unincorporated area or within another City, any proposal to subdivide such real property shall be consistent with existing corporate boundaries. No lot, except proposed public or private street rights-of-way, shall be partially within a City and partially within unincorporated area. Any portion of such real property lying within any other City or unincorporated County territory shall be included on the tentative map for the purpose of showing the remainder parcel, but any approving action on the tentative map by the City shall not be construed as approval of any design or improvements shown within any other City or unincorporated County territory.

• D. Regardless of its size, no portion of any property shown on the latest equalized County assessment roll as a unit or contiguous units shall be excluded from within the boundaries of a subdivision for the purpose of avoiding dedication or improvement of any street, drainage, or flood-control facility.

• (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

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City of Los Alamitos, CA § 16.12.040

LOS ALAMITOS CODE

§ 16.12.090

• A. Each lot being created by a subdivision shall be either numbered or lettered. If it is numbered, it must comply with the requirements of a building site as defined in the Zoning Regulations.

• B. Lettered lots may not be used as building sites and need not comply with the requirements for a building site.

• C. Lettered lots other than streets shall be labeled as to their intended use. Numbered lots may be labeled as to their intended use.

• D. A numbered lot which is drawn so that it is in more than one zone shall comply with area and width requirements of the zone having the greater requirements.

• (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

If an existing or proposed public roadway, as shown in the General Plan Mobility and Circulation Element, is located so that any portion of such roadway lies within or adjacent to a subdivision, the roadway shall be shown on the map in a width and in an alignment corresponding to the Mobility and Circulation Element, and the roadway shall be designed in accordance with the standard plans or applicable specific plan adopted by the Council. (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

Private streets shall be permitted, pursuant to conditions specified in the standard plans adopted by the Council, when the Council finds that the occupants of the subdivision will be better served and the welfare of the general public will not be impaired. (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

Subdivisions shall be designed to limit vehicular access to highways shown on in the General Plan Mobility and Circulation Element.

(Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

Subdivisions shall be designed in conformance with the standard plans adopted by the Council, except:

• A. Private streets serving four or fewer lots as access to a public street shall provide for a minimum pavement width of 28 feet within a minimum 40-foot-wide right-of-way.

• B. Private streets serving five parcels or more as access to a public street shall provide for a minimum pavement width of 40 feet within a minimum 56-foot-wide right-of-way.

• C. Streets in a subdivision which provides an approved alternate pedestrian circulation system shall have a right-of-way that will provide a minimum parkway width of at least eight feet.

• (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

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City of Los Alamitos, CA

SUBDIVISIONS

§ 16.12.090

§ 16.12.140

Dead-end streets shall be terminated by a turnaround having a diameter which will maintain a parkway width uniform with that of the street. No such dead-end street shall exceed a length of 500 feet measured along the center line from the center point of the turnaround to its center line intersection with a through street.

(Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

Local street and highway longitudinal grades shall be no less than one percent, reverse grade vertical curves excepted. Private longitudinal grades shall be no less than one percent, reverse grade vertical curves excepted. Highway longitudinal grades shall not exceed six percent and local street grades shall not exceed 10 percent, unless approved in writing by the City Engineer. (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

The center line radii of curves on local streets or highways shall be not less than:

• A. The Standard Orange County Environmental Management Agency (OCEMA) and CalTrans Highway Design Standards;

• B. 550 feet on collector streets; and

• C. 250 feet on local streets.

• (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

Local streets shall not exceed 1,000 feet in length without a significant change in alignment. (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

All local street and highway corner cutoffs and corner radii shall be designed in conformance with the standard plans as adopted by the Council. (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

• A. Sidewalks shall be designed in accordance with the standard plans adopted by the Council and located as follows:

  1. Along both sides of arterial highways;

  2. Along all commercial and industrial frontage;

  3. Along both sides of collector streets;

  4. Along residential frontage where the required minimum building site area is less than 15,000 square feet and the lots have access to the street, except in those instances where an alternate pedestrian circulation system is proposed;

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City of Los Alamitos, CA

LOS ALAMITOS CODE

§ 16.12.140

§ 16.12.170

5. Along all streets leading directly to a school, a designated school bus stop, or a park;

6. Where the sidewalk will provide a continuation or link between other sidewalks.

• B. Additional pedestrian ways not abutting a street shall be provided when necessary for access to schools, recreation, and other public areas. These pedestrian ways shall not be less than six feet in width.

• (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

Where the General Plan or any officially adopted specific or precise plan designates a bikeway trail as lying wholly or partially within any proposed subdivision, the necessary right-of-way for the bikeway or equestrian trail shall be shown on the map in compliance with adopted plans, and bikeways shall be designed in accordance with standard plans.

(Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

Street lighting shall be provided along and at the intersections of all arterial highways and local streets in accordance with the illumination levels specified in the standard plans, except as otherwise approved by the City Engineer.

(Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

• A. Utility lines, including but not limited to, electric, communications, street lighting, and cable television, shall be placed underground within any new, revised, or reactivated residential subdivision. The subdivider is responsible for making the necessary arrangements with the utility companies for the installation of facilities. For the purposes of this subsection, appurtenances and associated equipment such as, but not limited to, surface mounted transformers, pedestal mounted terminal boxes and meter cabinets, and concealed ducts in an underground system may be placed above ground within the street right-of-way where sufficient right-of-way width exists so as to provide sufficient width to comply with local, State, and Federal standards. The foregoing shall not pose a serious hazard to pedestrian traffic.

• B. If approved by the Director, utility lines, the main purpose of which is to provide service to customers outside of the original boundaries of the subdivision, and those utility lines which were in service in the area covered by the tentative tract or tentative parcel map prior to the filing of the tentative map, may be placed above ground.

• C. Required underground utility lines may be located in street or alley rights-of-way or along any lot line.

• D. Overhead utility lines should be located at the rear of lots where practical. The poles supporting such overhead lines shall not be installed within any street, alleyway, drainage easement, or flood-control channel.

• E. Aboveground installation of utilities shall be permitted on a temporary basis when such utilities are required during construction; provided, however, that such utilities shall be removed or placed underground prior to the final exoneration of street improvement bonds.

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City of Los Alamitos, CA

SUBDIVISIONS

§ 16.12.170

§ 16.12.200

• (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

All lots intended for development shall be connected to a sanitary sewer system. (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

• A. Tentative maps shall illustrate the existing or proposed manner in which water drains onto, across, and off of the land being subdivided, including the facilities and easements necessary to accommodate the drainage to its point of ultimate disposal.

• B. In the event a subdivider unnaturally concentrates or diverts surface water running onto adjacent land in a manner permitted by law, the map shall illustrate the manner in which the water will be accepted and disposed and shall provide appropriate documentation, as necessary, to establish the need and legal right to so affect drainage.

• C. If an existing or proposed flood control channel as shown on an officially adopted flood control plan is located so that any portion of it lies within or adjacent to a subdivision, the channel shall be illustrated on the map as a lettered lot in a width and in an alignment corresponding to the flood control plan.

• D. Where any lot is designed in such a manner that it will not drain with a minimum one percent grade directly to a street or common drainage facility, it shall be designed in a manner that will conform to the following criteria:

  1. Lots shall be designed in such a manner that manufactured slopes are not subject to sheet flow or concentrated runoff from either the same or an adjacent lot;

  2. All water flowing down manufactured slopes, except that falling on each slope, shall be constrained within an approved drainage device; and

3. All water flowing from one lot to or across another lot shall be within an approved drainage device located within a properly executed easement, where appropriate.

(Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

• A. Manufactured slopes shall be designed so that they can be conveniently maintained so as to minimize erosion, slope failure, and unsightly conditions.

• B. This section does not apply to manufactured slopes five feet in height or less.

• C. All manufactured slopes shall be shown on tentative maps and shall be classified, labeled, and designed as follows:

Type A. Those proposed to be maintained by a public agency or by a group, such as a homeowners' association, and which are located either adjacent to an arterial highway or within a park, greenbelt, or other public or common open space area.

Type B. Those proposed to be maintained by a group, such as a homeowners' association, and which are located within or adjacent to individual lots and which are not within a park,

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City of Los Alamitos, CA § 16.12.200

LOS ALAMITOS CODE

Type C. Those proposed to be maintained by individuals and which are located within individual lots in such a manner that they are inappropriate for maintenance by a group such as a homeowners' association.

• D. Manufactured slopes shall be designed to resemble natural terrain where feasible, with a minimum of long, flat, inclined plane surfaces and acute angles.

• E. Manufactured slopes shall be no steeper than three feet horizontal to one foot vertical.

• F. The maximum height of manufactured slopes in excess of or steeper than five feet horizontal to one foot vertical shall be as follows:

Type A. No maximum.

Type B. 35 feet.

Type C. 20 feet.

• G. Manufactured slopes shall not be constructed one on top of another or combined in such a manner so that they exceed the maximum heights specified in subsection F of this section. However, this limitation shall not apply to adjacent slopes on land abutting the subdivision, provided there is a visual and physical break of at least 10 horizontal usable feet, exclusive of drainage facilities, between the top of the lower slope and the top of the upper slope.

• H. Lettered lots shall not include Type C slopes, unless such slopes will be directly visible from the probable building pad on the lot.

• I. Automatic irrigation systems shall be incorporated into the design of Type A and Type B slopes. An irrigation system connected to the main water system serving the lot shall be incorporated into the design of Type C slopes.

• J. The design of manufactured slopes shall include landscaping in accordance with the requirements of Section 16.12.220 (Landscaping and Screening).

• (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

Local parks shall be shown on the tentative map in a manner consistent with the General Plan. (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

The design of the areas listed below shall include appropriate landscaping for aesthetic, noise suppression, fire protection, erosion control purposes, and vehicular sight distances:

• A. Manufactured slopes greater than five feet in height;

• B. Common areas;

• C. Roadway medians and parkway areas;

• D. Lot containing existing significant trees or other plants proposed to be preserved;

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City of Los Alamitos, CA

SUBDIVISIONS

§ 16.12.220

§ 16.12.250

• E. Fuel breaks; and

• F. Other open space areas. (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

• A. Any proposed subdivision fronting upon a public waterway, river, or stream shall be designed to provide reasonable public access by fee or easement from a public highway to and along that portion of the bank of the river or stream bordering or lying within the proposed subdivision. The extent, width, and character of the public easement shall be reasonably defined to achieve reasonable public use of the public waterway, river, or stream consistent with public safety.

• B. The governmental entity to which the access route will be offered for dedication shall be indicated on the map.

• C. In determining what is reasonable public access, the following factors shall be considered:

  1. The easement may be for a foot trail, bicycle trail, or vehicular access;

  2. The size of the subdivision;

  3. The type of riverbank and the various appropriate recreational, educational, and scientific uses, including, but not limited to, swimming, boating, diving, fishing, water skiing, scientific collection, and teaching; and

  4. The likelihood of trespass on private property and reasonable means of avoiding trespass.

• (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

• A. Any subdivision proposed to be located in an area shown in the General Plan Safety Element to be a high or extreme fire hazard area shall provide appropriate fire protection by means of firebreaks, fuel modification programs, access roads, sufficient water supply, landscaping and open spaces, and other methods that the fire chief has determined will ensure the public health, safety, and welfare of the future occupants of the subdivision and the adjacent area.

• B. The design of any required fuel modification program shall include landscape architectural planning encompassing visual quality standards, watershed impact, and erosion control and wildlife impact and other design features described in the fire hazard reduction design criteria. The program shall include provisions for landscape architectural construction observation, inspection, and maintenance.

• C. The cost of the design and implementation of any fuel modification program shall be the responsibility of the subdivider.

• D. A method or procedure for assuring continued maintenance of any required fuel modification program shall be provided by the subdivider and approved by the fire chief and the Director.

(Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

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City of Los Alamitos, CA § 16.12.250

LOS ALAMITOS CODE

§ 16.12.260

Areas proposed to be subdivided which are known to be dangerous by reason of geological conditions, unstable subsurface conditions, groundwater or seepage conditions, flood hazard, or any other dangerous conditions shall be approved for subdivision only when the Planning Commission or Council finds that the conditions or hazards are to be removed or that appropriate measures or controls will be applied which will assure adequate protection to the subject property and to surrounding uses and improvements.

(Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

• A. The Planning Commission or Council may approve or conditionally approve tentative maps which deviate from the standards of design contained in the following sections:

  • 16.12.040 Lots.

  • 16.12.050 Arterial Highways.

  • 16.12.070 Restricted Access to Highways.

  • 16.12.080 Street Widths.

  • 16.12.090 Dead-End or Cul-De-Sac Streets.

  • 16.12.100 Local Street and Highway Longitudinal Grades.

  • 16.12.110 Curved Local Street and Highway Radii.

  • 16.12.130 Local Street and Highway Corner Cutoffs and Corner Radii.

  • 16.12.140 Sidewalks and Pedestrian Ways.

  • 16.12.150 Bicycle Trails.

  • 16.12.160 Street Lighting.

  • 16.12.170 Underground Utility Lines.

  • 16.12.200 Manufactured Slopes.

  • 16.12.220 Landscaping and Screening.

  • 16.12.240 Fire Protection.

• B. The deviations from the standards of design contained in the sections listed in subsection A of this section shall be identified by a note on the face of the tentative map, and the subdivider shall submit evidence of justification for each deviation.

• C. Special circumstances which may be cited to justify a deviation from the standards of design listed in subsection A of this section include, but are not limited to, alternative means of pedestrian circulation, environmental considerations, physical constraints, existing nearby uses, and a limited amount of ultimate traffic.

• D. The Planning Commission or Council shall take specific action on each requested

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City of Los Alamitos, CA

SUBDIVISIONS

§ 16.12.260

§ 16.12.260

deviation. Deviations not specifically approved shall be considered to be denied. (Ord. 580 § 2, 1994; Ord. 19-03 § 3, 2019)

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City of Los Alamitos, CA

SUBDIVISIONS

§ 16.14.010

§ 16.14.040

CHAPTER 16.14 DEDICATIONS