Rancho Santa Margarita Municipal Code Ch. 11.01 City Streets Defined, Construction Standards, Driving Over New…

All public streets and highways within the City that have been acquired by the City either by purchase, dedication or condemnation proceedings, are hereby declared to be City streets, and all streets and highways that shall hereafter be acquired by either purchase, dedication or condemnation proceedings shall be and remain City streets.

(OCC § 6-2-1)

Standard plans and specifications for the construction, improvement and maintenance of highways, bridges, flood control, landscaping, grading, small drainage structures, irrigation and recreational facilities, and for the protection, supervision, management, control or use of such facilities, shall, from time to time, be submitted by the City Engineer, and upon approval and adoption by resolution, shall be enforced by both the City Engineer and the Director of Planning, and shall be complied with and adhered to, except as provided by Section 11.01.030 by developers, builders, contractors, subcontractors, agents and all others engaged in such construction, improvement or maintenance. Copies of said standard plans and specifications shall be available for inspection at the office of the City Engineer or at the office of the Planning Director.

(OCC § 6-2-12; Ord. No. 3980, § 2, 4-1-1997)

In any case where strict adherence to the City's standard plans and specifications enumerated in Section 11.01.020 would be impractical or unreasonable, the City Engineer may grant such modification or deviation therefrom as will, in accordance with good engineering practice and public health and safety, conform to a plan that will, under the circumstances in such case, be practical and reasonable.

(OCC § 6-2-13; Ord. No. 3980, § 3, 4-1-1997)

(a) Highway construction. Whenever any public highway, City street, or State highway within the City shall be hereafter in course of construction or improvement with cement, asphalt, or any other substance that is soft when first applied, it shall be unlawful for any person to step, walk, ride, or drive upon that portion of any such public highway, City street, or State highway that is being at the time so improved until after the same shall become set or hard.

(b) Pavement and markings. No person shall ride or drive any animal or any vehicle over or across any newly made pavement, any pavement under construction, or any freshly painted markings upon any public street or highway when a barrier or sign is in place warning persons not to drive over or across such pavement or markings, or when a sign is in place stating that the street is closed.

(OCC § 6-3-91)

(a) Necessity determined by the City Engineer. Whenever it shall be deemed necessary by the City Engineer to restrict the use of, or close any City street for the protection of the public, or for the protection of such City street from damage during storms or during construction, improvement, or maintenance operations thereon, the City Engineer may close or restrict the use of the whole or any part of such City street deemed necessary to be excluded from public travel.

(b) Warning signs, lights, and devices required for closed highway or during construction. While any such City street, or portion thereof, is closed, or while such City street, or portion thereof, is in the process of construction or repair or maintenance, the City Engineer may erect, or cause to be erected, suitable barriers or obstructions thereon, may post, or cause to be posted, conspicuous notices to the effect that such City street, or portion thereof, is closed or directing the traffic, and may place, or cause to be placed, warning lights or devices on such street or portion thereof. All warning signs, lights and devices shall conform to the State of California, Division of Highways Uniform Sign Chart and/or the 2006 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) California Supplement, as may be revised.

(c) Violation; damage to barrier, notices, warning signs. When such City street, or portion thereof, is closed to the public or is in process of construction, repair or maintenance, as provided herein, any person who willfully breaks down, removes, injures or destroys any such barrier or obstruction, or tears down, removes or destroys any such notices, or extinguishes, removes, injures or destroys any such warning lights or devices so erected, posted or placed by the City Engineer, or willfully enters upon or drives any vehicle on or over said road or highway or portion thereof when in the process of construction, repair, or maintenance, without first obtaining a permit so to do from the City Engineer, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(OCC § 6-3-92; Ord. No. 10-01, § 2, 2-24-2010)