Chapter 20.72 — OFFICIAL PLAN LINES

20.72.010 Purpose. ¶

The purpose of this chapter is to establish an official plan for the ultimate right-of-way width of streets, highways and alleys within the city, in conformity with Title 7, Planning, of the Government Code of the State of California. (Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.020 Scope of official plan lines. ¶

The official plan lines for all streets, highways and alleys shall designate, by reference, precise sections of the city and shall establish the width and dimension of sidewalks, curbs, parkways and all other public improvements related to traffic ways. The reference for such precise sections shall be latest edition of the "City of Signal Hill - Standard Plans" published by the city engineer and available at the City Hall.

(Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.030 Map adopted. ¶

The official plan lines of streets, highways and alleys within the city shall be established as particularly set forth on the latest edition of the map titled “Official Plan Lines Map of the City of Signal Hill” and, by this reference, incorporated in and made a part of this title.

(Ord. 2022-07-1540 § 4, 2022: Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.040 Major highways. ¶

Major highways as designed on the "Official Plan Lines Map of the City of Signal Hill" shall have a minimum rightof-way width of one hundred feet. Unless otherwise designated on the map, major highways shall be measured fifty feet from each side of the highway centerline.

The following streets are classified as major highways:

Redondo Avenue, between Pacific Coast Highway and north city boundary; Cherry Avenue, between south city boundary and north city boundary; Orange Avenue, between Willow Street and 32nd Street;

Pacific Coast Highway, throughout the city; Willow Street, between west city boundary and east city boundary; Spring Street, throughout the city. (Ord. 99-02-1247; Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.050 Secondary highways. ¶

Secondary highways as designated on the "Official Plan Lines Map of the City of Signal Hill" shall have a minimum right-of-way width of eighty feet. Unless otherwise designated on the map, major highways shall be measured forty feet from each side of the highway centerline.

The following streets are classified as secondary highway:

Obispo Avenue, between the south city boundary and Hathaway Avenue; Hathaway Avenue, between Obispo Avenue and Temple Avenue;

Temple Avenue, between Hathaway Avenue and the north city boundary;

Junipero Avenue, between 28th Street and Spring Street. (Ord. 87-11-977 § 5 (part))

20.72.060 Secondary modified highways. ¶

Secondary modified highways as designated on the "Official Plan Lines Map of the City of Signal Hill" shall have a minimum right-of-way width of seventy feet. Unless otherwise designated on the map, major highways shall be measured thirty-five feet from each side of the highway centerline.

The following streets are classified as secondary modified highways:

Walnut Avenue, throughout the city;

California Avenue, from the south city boundary to Spring Street;

Orange Avenue, from 32nd Street to the north city boundary and from Willow Street to the south city boundary; 28th Street, from Temple Avenue to Orange Avenue.

(Ord. 99-02-1247 § 2; Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.070 Local streets. ¶

Local streets as designated on the "Official Plan Lines Map of the City of Signal Hill" shall have a minimum rightof-way width of sixty feet. Unless otherwise designated on the map, local highways shall be measured thirty feet from each side of the highway centerline.

(Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.080 Alleys. ¶

Alleys as designated on the "Official Plan Lines Map of the City of Signal Hill" shall have a minimum right-of-way width of twenty feet. Unless otherwise designated on the map, alleys shall be measured ten feet from each side of the alley centerline.

(Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.085 Pedestrian connection. ¶

Pedestrian Connection as designated on the "Official Plan Lines Map of the City of Signal Hill" shall include public right-of-way for pedestrian access. The width and improvements shall be consistent with the City Traffic Engineer's and City Engineer's approval.

(Ord. 2015-02-1473 § 1 (part))

20.72.090 Traffic study areas. ¶

There are a number of areas throughout the city where conditions exist which require a more thorough and special traffic analysis based upon future development projects before precise street alignment can be identified. The conditions which exist in these areas, which areas are shown by the letter "A" on the "Official Plan Lines Map of the City of Signal Hill," include the following:

A. Undeveloped and/or substandard streets which primarily provide access to oil operations. Such roadways were mapped more than fifty years ago and may not adequately address such issues as design speeds, severe grade changes, circulation, property access, view corridors, indirect traffic impacts and development potential;

B. A number of relatively long dead-end streets exist where there is still a reasonable possibility for continuation through to other existing streets in order to improve overall traffic circulation and public safety;

C. Areas exist where large scale development may occur based upon developable land areas available. In some cases the need for new streets may exist while certain existing streets and alleys may be eliminated, modified or realigned in order to better serve overall traffic circulation.

Development in each study area shall include a complete traffic analysis of the study area, prepared by a registered traffic engineer for review and approval by the city engineer. The study shall review existing and proposed roadway alignments, traffic patterns, view corridors, property access, cumulative traffic impacts, need for traffic control devices, development potential and zoning. The study shall recommend the precise alignment of streets within the subject study area. The study shall avoid the following conditions: cul-de-sacs on streets exceeding six hundred feet in length, street grades exceeding ten percent, creation of double-frontage lots, offset intersections less than one hundred fifty feet apart, inadequate design speeds and skewed intersections. The development shall be in accordance with the recommendations in the study, as approved by the city engineer.

(Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.100 Violations prohibited. ¶

No building, structure or other improvement, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be erected, altered, moved in or placed within the official plan lines of streets and highways as adopted by this chapter except for signs as specified in Chapter 20.58, Signs; and no permit or approval in any other manner therefore shall be issued by any official or employee of the city.

Any permit or approval issued in violation of this chapter, unless approved by proper procedure for a variance as outlined in this title, shall be null and void. This section shall not apply to gardens or to other permitted front yard uses.

(Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.110 Effect of provisions on subdivisions. ¶

The street and highway design of any subdivision of land following under the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act of the State of California and other subdivisions laws as may subsequently be adopted by the city shall be based upon the official plan of streets and highways as adopted by this chapter. (Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.120 Retention of plan lines map. ¶

A copy of the "Official Plan Lines Map of the City of Signal Hill" shall be on file in the office of the city engineer and available for public review upon request.

(Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.130 Exceptions. ¶

The city engineer may make minor reductions to any of the standards contained herein of up to five percent of the right-of-way width, except for the drivable width of streets and alleys as identified in the official plan lines pursuant to Section 20.72.020 of this chapter, upon request or upon his or her own initiative, including but not limited to reducing the amount of dedication necessary on given streets or alleys. The city engineer may also require minor additional dedication beyond the standard street width, where a proposed development is adjacent to a public transportation facility and where improvements thereto are warranted. In addition, the following streets and alleys shall have the following right-of-way widths notwithstanding Sections 20.72.040 through 20.72.080:

Street	Between	Width Proposed (in feet)
Vernon Street	Calif. Ave., L.B. city boundary	50
25th Street	Calif. Ave., L.B. city boundary	50
Alliance Avenue	Orange Ave., bordering P.E.R/W	30
Legion Drive	Hill St., Creston Avenue	30
Stanley Avenue	21st St., 20th St.	50
19th Street	Stanley Ave., Orizaba Ave.	Varies
Grant Street	Obispo Ave., Redondo Ave.	50
Kelly Drive	Hill St., 21st St.	30
Terrace Drive	Entire length	34
Signal Parkway	Entire length	80
33rd Street	city boundary, Calif. Ave.	74
Hill Street	Obispo Ave., Redondo Ave.	70
Alley Direction	Bordering	Width (in feet)
N/S	Walnut, Falcon, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
N/S	Falcon, Gundry, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
N/S	Brayton, Orange, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
N/S	Orange, Cerritos, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
N/S	Lemon, Cerritos, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
N/S	Lewis, Lemon, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
N/S	Calif., Lewis, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
E/W	Calif., Lewis, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
E/W	Lewis, Lemon, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
E/W	Lemon, Cerritos, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
E/W	Cerritos, Orange, Wardlow, 33rd St.	15
N/S	Calif., Lewis, 33rd, 32nd St.	15
N/S	Lewis, Lemon, 33rd, 32nd St.	15
N/S	Lemon, Cerritos, 33rd, 32nd St.	15
N/S	Cerritos, Orange, 33rd, 32nd St.	15
N/S	Willow, 25th St., Calif., city boundary	15
N/S	21st, 20th, St. Louis, Dawson Ave.	15
N/S	Cherry, St. Louis, 20th, 19th St.	15
N/S	St. Louis, Dawson, 20th, 19th St.	15
N/S	Dawson, Raymond, 20th, 19th St.	15
N/S	Raymond, Junipero, 20th, 19th St.	15
N/S	Junipero, Stanley, 19th, P.C.H.	15
N/S	Stanley, Molino, 19th P.C.H.	15

(Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))

20.72.140 Variance. ¶

When practical difficulties, unnecessary hardships or results inconsistent with the general purpose of this chapter occur through a strict interpretation of the provisions hereof, the planning commission may, in the manner provided by Chapter 20.84 of this title, initiate proceedings for consideration of a variance from the terms of this chapter. (Ord. 87-11-997 § 5 (part))