Article 7 — Subdivision Standards

The General Plan for the City shall guide the use of all land within the City's corporate boundaries. The type and intensity of land use shown on the General Plan shall determine the type of streets, roads, highways, and other utilities and public facilities, such as schools, parks, and playgrounds, that shall be provided by the subdivider. In order to facilitate the public acquisition of land areas required to implement this policy, the Commission may require that the subdivider reserve land for schools, parks, playgrounds, and other public purposes. Donations and dedications of land area consistent with the policies of the General Plan and in such locations so as to properly implement the General Plan may be accepted by the Council.

No land shall be subdivided and developed for any purpose not contemplated or specifically authorized by the Zoning Ordinance of the City.

Except where modified by the Commission, as provided by Article 9 of this chapter, each subdivision and the map thereof shall be in conformity with the standards as set forth or referred to in this article.

(§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974, as amended by § 5, Ord. 2772 c.s., eff. August 1, 1996)

All lots or parcels created by the subdivision of land shall have access to a public street of the standards set forth in this article. Private streets shall not normally be permitted. However, if the Commission determines that the most logical development of the land requires that lots be created which cannot feasibly be served by a public street, a private street may be approved. The subdivider shall submit a development plan showing the alignment, width, grade, and material specifications of any proposed private street, the topography and means and access to each lot, and the drainage of the subdivision. The construction of the private street as approved by the City Engineer shall be completed prior to the completion of the construction and/or occupancy on the lots.

(§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974)

• (a) Conformance to the General Plan. The street and highway design shall conform in pattern, width, and alignment to the General Plan. The right-of-way for any such street or highway indicated on the General Plan or Official Street Plan shall be dedicated.

• (b) Plans of other legal bodies. The street and highway design shall conform to any proceedings affecting the subdivision which may have been initiated by other legally constituted bodies of the City, County, or State. If a parcel of land to be subdivided includes a portion of the right-of-way to be acquired for a public freeway or parkway, and the Council determines the boundaries of the right-of-way to be acquired, the subdivider shall either dedicate or withhold from a subdivision all the area included in such right-of-way.

• (c) Street patterns. The street pattern in the subdivision shall be in general conformity with a plan for the most advantageous development of adjoining areas and the entire

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City of Redondo Beach, CA

PLANNING AND ZONING

§ 10-1.703

§ 10-1.703

neighborhood or district. The following principles shall be observed:

• (1) All streets shall, as far as practicable, be in alignment with existing adjacent streets by continuations of the center lines thereof or by adjustments by curves for the most advantageous development of the area in which the subdivision lies.

• (2) Proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the land to be subdivided, unless prevented by topography or other physical conditions, or unless, in the opinion of the Commission, such extension is not necessary for the coordination of the layout of the subdivision with the existing layout or the most advantageous future development of adjacent property.

• (3) In the case of stub-end streets extending to the boundary of the property, a one-foot strip the width of the street right-of-way shall be deeded to the City at the end of the stub-end street, and improvements of the strip shall be suspended, pending the extension of the street into adjacent property. Where required by the Commission, a temporary turnaround or a temporary connection to another street shall be provided by the subdivider.

• (4) Excessively long, straight, residential streets, conducive to high speed traffic, shall be prohibited.

• (5) Any highway or street intersecting any other highway or street shall intersect at an angle as near a right angle as is practicable. At street intersections which include major or secondary highways intersecting at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, the block corner shall be rounded at the property line by a radius of not less than 15 feet. At intersections of other streets the radius shall be not less than 10 feet. An optional method of a diagonal cutoff may be used provided the dimensions thereof do not reduce the visibility, sidewalk width, or curb radius obtained by the above specified radii. The curb radius may be required to conform to the radius of existing corners at the same intersection where such radius is greater than 15 feet. Streets intersecting at an angle other than 90 degrees shall have sufficient radius or cutoff to provide visibility and design as provided by the requirements of subsections 1 through 4 of this subsection.

  • (6) Grades, curves, and sight distances shall be subject to approval by the City Engineer to insure proper drainage and/or safety for vehicles and pedestrians. Grades of streets shall not be less than three-tenths (3/10%) percent nor greater than 15%. The radii of curvature shall not normally be less than 400 feet on the center line of thoroughfares and less than 100 feet on the center line of collector or minor streets.

• (d) Design adjacent to major or secondary highways. Subdivision design adjacent to major or secondary highways shall be as specified in the General Plan and as determined by the Commission. The following principles and standards shall be observed:

  • (1) Street design shall have the purpose of making adjacent lots, if for residential use, desirable for such use by cushioning the impact of heavy traffic and minimizing the interference with traffic on such highways.

  • (2) The number of intersecting streets along highways shall be held to a minimum. Wherever practicable, such intersections shall be spaced not less than 1,320 feet on center.

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City of Redondo Beach, CA § 10-1.703

REDONDO BEACH

§ 10-1.703

• (3) Frontage roads, if required, shall conform to the standards specified in subsection F of this section and shall be separated from the highway by a strip of permanent landscaping, subject to approval by the Commission, not less than five feet in width.

• (4) Where frontage roads are not required, residential lots adjacent to the highway normally will be required to be served by a minor street paralleling the highway at a generous lot depth therefrom or by a series of cul-de-sacs or loop streets extending toward the highways from a collector street some 600 feet therefrom. In such cases a wall or fence of a design approved by the Commission shall be required within the right-of-way at the rear of properties adjacent to the highway. A strip of permanent landscaping not less than six feet in width, subject to approval by the Commission, shall be required adjacent to the wall or fence facing the highway.

rd the highways from a collector street some 600 feet therefrom. In such cases a wall or fence of a design approved by the Commission shall be required within the right-of-way at the rear of properties adjacent to the highway. A strip of permanent landscaping not less than six feet in width, subject to approval by the Commission, shall be required adjacent to the wall or fence facing the highway.

• (5) When any lots proposed for commercial usage front on any major or secondary highway, the subdivider may be required to dedicate and improve a service road to provide ingress and egress to and from such lots or in lieu thereof. If approved by the Commission, the subdivider may dedicate, use, and improve an area approved by the Commission and adjacent to such lots for off-street parking purposes. In addition to any requirement for a service road, the Commission may require common off-street parking areas to serve all lots proposed for commercial usage.

• (6) When the front, side, or rear of any lots borders any major or secondary highway, the subdivider may be required to execute and deliver to the City an instrument, deemed sufficient by the City Attorney, prohibiting the right of ingress and egress to the front, side, or rear of such lots from such streets or highway and may, in addition, be required to construct a masonry wall or fence of a design approved by the Commission where they abut the right-of-way. When the side or rear of any lots borders any freeway or State highway, the subdivider may be required to dedicate, fence or wall, and improve a landscaping strip adjacent to such highway or freeway not less than six feet in width.

• (e) Reserved strips. Reserved strips controlling the access to public ways or minimizing values for special improvement assessments will not be approved unless such strips are necessary for the protection of the public welfare or of substantial property rights, or both, and in no case unless the control and disposal of the land comprising such strips is placed definitely within the jurisdiction of the City under conditions approved by the Commission.

• (f) Minimum standards: Street widths. Where higher standards have not been established as specified in the General Plan, all streets and highways shall be platted according to the following minimum standards, except where it can be shown by the subdivider, to the satisfaction of the Commission, that the topography or the small number of lots served and the probable future traffic development are such as to unquestionably justify a narrower width. Increased widths may be required where streets are to serve commercial property or where anticipated traffic conditions warrant such increases.

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----- Start of picture text -----
Right-of-Way Pavement Width
Classification (Feet) (Feet)
(1)Major highways 100 84
(2)Secondary highways 84 64
(3)Residential collector streets 60 40
----- End of picture text -----

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City of Redondo Beach, CA

PLANNING AND ZONING

§ 10-1.703

§ 10-1.705

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----- Start of picture text -----
Right-of-Way Pavement Width
Classification (Feet) (Feet)
(4)Industrial service streets 80 60
(5)Minor residential streets 56 36
(6)Frontage roads 42 30
(7)Alleys 25 25
(8)Cul-de-sacs: a minimum right-of-way width of 60 feet and a minimum pavement width
of 40 feet terminating in a circular turnaround with a minimum right-of-way diameter of
90 feet and a minimum pavement diameter of 70 feet. A cul-de-sac shall not normally
have a greater length than 400 feet.
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• (g) Minimum standards: Curbs, sidewalks, and pedestrian ways. The following principles and standards shall apply to the design and installation of curbs, sidewalks, and pedestrian ways:

  • (1) At the discretion of the Commission, either vertical or rolled curbs and gutters shall be required in all subdivisions.

  • (2) Sidewalks may be required on either or both sides of the street in any subdivision, or portion thereof, and shall be a minimum of four feet in width.

  • (3) When required for access to schools, playgrounds, shopping centers, transportation facilities, and other community facilities, the Commission may require pedestrian ways between five feet and 12 feet in width.

• (4) Sidewalks shall be located within the street right-of-way not closer than six inches from the dedicated boundary of the street.

• (§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974, as amended by § 5, Ord. 2772 c.s., eff. August 1, 1996)

• (a) Block lengths. Blocks shall not exceed 700 feet in length between street lines, except:

  • (1) Where topographical conditions require that they be longer;

  • (2) Where existing adjacent blocks require that they be longer;

  • (3) Where subdivisions containing parcels of 1/2 acre or larger justify or require a variation from this requirement; or

  • (4) Where pedestrian walkways ten (10') feet in width are provided through the middle of blocks. In this case, the allowed maximum shall be 900 feet.

• (b) Block widths. The width of each block shall be sufficient for an ultimate layout of two tiers of lots therein of a size required by the provisions of this chapter, unless the surrounding layout, lines of ownership, or topographical conditions justify or make necessary a variation from this requirement.

• (§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974)

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City of Redondo Beach, CA § 10-1.705

REDONDO BEACH

§ 10-1.706

The size, shape, and orientation of lots shall be appropriate to the location of the proposed subdivision and to the type of development contemplated. The following principles and standards shall be observed:

• (a) General.

  • (1) The minimum area and dimensions of all lots shall conform to the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance for the zone in which the subdivision is located.

  • (2) The side lines of all lots, so far as possible, shall be at right angles to the street which the lot faces or approximately radial to the center of curvature, if such street is curved. The side lines of lots shall be approximately radial to the center of the curvatures of a cul-de-sac on which the lot faces.

  • (3) No lot shall be divided by a City boundary line, and no remnants of property shall be left in the subdivision which do not conform to the lot requirements or are not required for a private or public utility use.

• (b) Lot depth.

  • (1) No lot shall have a depth of less than 100 feet.

  • (2) Where the rear of a lot is adjacent to a playground, shopping center, industrial tract, or other similar nonresidential use or to the right-of-way of a utility, freeway, railroad, or thoroughfare, the depth shall be increased to a minimum of 120 feet.

  • (3) Where the front of a lot is adjacent to a thoroughfare, the depth shall be increased to a minimum of 120 feet.

• (c) Lot width.

  • (1) No lot shall have a width of less than 50 feet, except as follows:

    • a. Cul-de-sac lots shall have a width of not less than 35 feet;

    • b. Lots shall have a minimum width of 40 feet on blocks where the prevailing lot width is approximately 40 feet or less.

    • c. In the R-1A zone, lots shall have a minimum width of 25 feet.

(2) Corner lots may be required to be platted wider than interior lots in order to permit conformance with the required street side yard requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. (§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974, as amended by § 5, Ord. 2772 c.s., eff. August 1, 1996)

• (a) Utility undergrounding. All electric power and communications lines, wires, and conduits, or similar or associated electrical materials or devices, shall be placed underground.

• (b) Utility easements. Utility easements, 10 feet in width, shall be provided within the subdivision where required for public utility purposes. Modifications of the easement width requirement may be granted only when approved by both the City Engineer and the public

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City of Redondo Beach, CA

PLANNING AND ZONING

§ 10-1.706

§ 10-1.710

utility or utilities concerned. Under normal circumstances, utility facilities which are to be placed underground shall be located within the street right-of-way provided that, upon the mutual agreement of the City Engineer, subdivider, and utility concerned, such facilities may be located in easements within the front yard or along the side lot line or rear lot line. The dedication of easements shall be to the City or appropriate public utility for the purpose of installing utilities, planting strips, and for other public purposes as may be ordered or directed by the Council. The City may require the subdivider to remove or trim any trees or brush lying within an easement or right-of-way.

(§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 9174)

• (a) Street trees. Street trees shall be provided by the subdivider in all subdivisions, either within the street right-of-way or within a dedicated planting easement as required by the Commission. The species and size of trees, their installation, and the method of maintenance shall be determined by the Planning Division.

• (b) Maintenance of trees on private property. Trees with a trunk diameter six inches or greater, measured at four feet above the ground level, on private property within any subdivision shall be preserved unless the subdivider can demonstrate that their removal is an unavoidable consequence of the subdivision and that he has provided for the replacement of all trees with new trees of equal size and character.

(§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974, as amended by § 5, Ord. 2772 c.s., eff. August 1, 1996)

The subdivider shall, subject to riparian rights, dedicate rights-of-way for storm drainage purposes conforming substantially with the lines of any natural watercourse or channel, stream, or creek that traverses the subdivision or, at the option of the Commission, provide, by dedication, further and sufficient easements or construction, or both, to dispose of such surface and storm waters. The subdivider may be required to cover or otherwise improve such drainage channel.

(§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974)

• (a) Treatment of railway crossings. If the question of railway crossings is involved, the subdivision shall be considered in relationship to the probability of grade separation or other treatment and may be required to conform to certain conditions in anticipation of such treatment.

• (b) Railroad and industrial subdivisions. Where the subdivision is industrial or where it is adjacent to a railroad right-of-way, and the Zoning Ordinance or other conditions indicate that such property will be used for industrial purposes, nearby highways in the same general direction as the railroad shall be as nearly parallel to such railroad right-of-way as practicable and in no case less than one lot depth distant when future separation grades, if any, would be created.

(§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974, as amended by § 5, Ord. 2772 c.s., eff. August 1, 1996)

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City of Redondo Beach, CA § 10-1.710

REDONDO BEACH

§ 10-1.711

In the case of subdivisions, or portions thereof, having an average slope of not less than 8%, the Commission may modify the requirements of this article in a manner that will result in the best possible utilization of the site to be subdivided, giving consideration to the topography of the land and the general character of the proposed subdivision. This is not to presume that steeply sloping areas should be developed to their maximum practicable extent. The Commission may conclude that such areas are best suited to lower intensity or other types of use. In all cases, the following principles and standards shall be observed:

• (a) The basis for requirements for street rights-of-way and pavement widths and design shall be the topography of the land and the density of development in terms of the proposed number of dwellings to be served by the street or roadway.

• (b) Street grades for minor streets may be increased to a maximum of 20%.

• (c) The dedicated width of any two way street may be reduced to 40 feet with a minimum pavement width of not less than 26 feet.

• (d) The dedicated width of any one-way street may be reduced to 30 feet with a minimum pavement width of not less than 20 feet.

• (§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974)

The street and lot layout of a nonresidential subdivision shall be appropriate to the land use for which the subdivision is proposed and shall conform to the proposed land use and standards established in the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance. In addition to the principles and standards in this chapter which are appropriate to the planning of all subdivisions, the subdivider of a nonresidential subdivision shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Commission that the street, parcel, and block pattern proposed is specifically adapted to the uses anticipated and takes into account other uses in the vicinity. The following principles and standards shall be observed.

• (a) Proposed industrial and/or commercial parcels shall be suitable in area and dimensions to the types of commercial and/or industrial development anticipated.

• (b) Street rights-of-way and pavement shall be adequate to accommodate the type of volume of traffic anticipated to be generated thereon.

• (c) Special requirements may be imposed by the City with respect to street, curb, gutter, and sidewalk design and construction.

• (d) Special requirements may be imposed by the City with respect to the installation of public utilities, including water, sewer, and storm water drainage.

• (e) Every effort shall be made to protect adjacent residential areas from the potential nuisance of proposed nonresidential subdivisions, including the provision of extra depth and building setback lines in parcels backing up on existing or potential residential developments and provisions for a permanently landscaped buffer strip when necessary.

• (f) Streets carrying nonresidential traffic, especially truck traffic, shall not normally be extended to the boundaries of adjacent existing or potential residential areas or connected to streets intended for predominantly residential traffic.

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City of Redondo Beach, CA

PLANNING AND ZONING

§ 10-1.711

§ 10-1.711

• (g) Subdivisions for proposed commercial development shall take into account and specifically designate all areas proposed for vehicular circulation and parking, for pedestrian circulation, and for buffer strips and other landscaping.

• (§ 1, Ord. 2114 c.s., eff. January 26, 1974, as amended by § 5, Ord. 2772 c.s., eff. August 1, 1996)

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City of Redondo Beach, CA