§ 93.05

• A. Access Required.

  1. Each building or structure or use shall have permanent vehicular access to the approved public or private street or right-of-way on which the lot or building site has frontage, unless a secondary means of permanent vehicular access such as a service road or alley has been approved by the planning commission.

  2. The access strip of a flag lot shall not be less than 30 feet in width at any point, except in the R-1 zones where it shall not be less than 16 feet.

• B. Access Rights.

Each lot or building site may have at least one vehicular accessory from the street on which it has frontage unless the planning commission determines that such access would be detrimental to existing or anticipated traffic patterns at that location and that alternate access is available.

• C. Location of Accessways—General.

All vehicular accessways shall be located not less than 30 feet from the ultimate curb line of intersection streets or as otherwise approved by the city engineer. A greater distance may be required depending on street design and use, and other factors as determined by the city

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City of Palm Springs, CA

GENERAL CONDITIONS

§ 93.05.00

§ 93.06.00

engineer to affect public health and safety.

• D. Vehicular Access to Thoroughfare Frontage.

In order to encourage the sound development of thoroughfare frontage, the following special provisions shall apply in any location which abuts a major or secondary highway.

1. Access Barrier.

Access to the highway shall be regulated in the interest of public safety. Each building or group of buildings used for hotel or nonresidential purposes, together with its parking or service areas, shall be physically separated from the highway or street by a curb, planting strip, or other suitable barrier against unchanneled motor vehicle ingress or egress, except for accessways as approved by the planning commission.

2. Turning Area on Lot.

When vehicular access to lots fronting on a major or secondary thoroughfare is not provided for by way of a service road or alley, there shall be a paved turning area on the lot to permit motor vehicles to turn around and head into the thoroughfare.

• E.

• Controlled Access.

Controlled access is discouraged. Controlled access to developments shall only be approved by the Planning Commission where the applicant can establish that the development will be significantly impacted by unauthorized parking from adjacent uses or traffic impacts from adjacent uses beyond the design capacity of the internal streets, and will not negatively impact unauthorized parking, traffic, or public safety at adjacent uses. When considering applications for controlled access, the Planning Commission shall evaluate the use of parking restrictions or traffic calming measures first as an alternative to controlled access. Where controlled access to a development is proposed by the use of guardhouses, gates or other similar controls, the design of such access shall incorporate such features as service and emergency access, on-site turn-around, relevant signing, or other similar features as may be required by the Planning Commission. (Ord. 1294, 1988; Ord. 1553, 1998; Ord. 1978 § 3, 2019)