Trinity County Municipal Code Art. II Emergency Access

Road and street networks, whether public or private, unless exempted under Section 8.30.030(E), shall provide for safe access for emergency wildland fire equipment and civilian evacuation concurrently, and shall provide unobstructed traffic circulation during a wildfire emergency consistent with this section through Section 8.30.240.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

All roads shall be constructed to provide a minimum of two nine-foot traffic lanes providing two-way traffic flow, unless other standards are provided in this article, or additional requirements are mandated by local jurisdictions or local subdivision requirements.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

The surface shall provide unobstructed access to conventional drive vehicles, including sedans and fire engines. Surfaces should be established in conformance with local ordinances, and be capable of supporting a forty thousand pound load.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

The grade for all roads, streets, private lanes and driveways shall not exceed sixteen percent.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

A. No roadway shall have a horizontal inside radius of curvature of less than fifty feet and additional surface width of four feet shall be added to curves of fifty to one hundred feet radius; two feet to those from one hundred to two hundred feet.

B. The length of vertical curves in roadways, exclusive of gutters, ditches, and drainage structures designed to hold or divert water, shall be not less than one hundred feet.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

Turnarounds are required on driveways and dead-end roads as specified in this article. The minimum turning radius for a turnaround shall be forty feet from the center line of the road. If a hammerhead/T is used, the top of the "T" shall be a minimum of sixty feet in length.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

Turnouts shall be a minimum of ten feet wide and thirty feet long with a minimum twenty-five foot taper on each end.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

A. All driveway, road, street, and private lane roadway structures shall be constructed to carry at least the maximum load and provide the minimum vertical clearance as required by Vehicle Code Sections 35550, 35750, and 35250.

B. Appropriate signing, including but not limited to weight or vertical clearance limitations, one-way road or single lane conditions, shall reflect the capability of each bridge.

C. A bridge with only one traffic lane may be authorized by the local jurisdiction; however, it shall provide for unobstructed visibility from one end to the other and turnouts at both ends.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

All one-way roads shall be constructed to provide a minimum of one ten-foot traffic lane. The local jurisdiction may approve one-way roads. All one-way roads shall connect to a two-lane roadway at both ends, and shall provide access to an area currently zoned for no more than ten dwelling units. In no case shall it exceed two thousand six hundred forty feet in length. A turnout shall be placed and constructed at approximately the midpoint of each one-way road.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

A. The maximum length of a dead-end road, including all dead-end roads accessed from that dead-end road, shall not exceed the following cumulative lengths, regardless of the number of parcels served:

1. Parcels zoned for less than one acre, eight hundred feet;

2. Parcels zoned for one acre to 4.99 acres, one thousand three hundred twenty feet;

3. Parcels zoned for five acres to 19.99 acres, two thousand six hundred forty feet;

4. Parcels zoned for twenty acres or larger, five thousand two hundred eighty feet.

B. All lengths shall be measured from the edge of the roadway surface at the intersection that begins the road to the end of the road surface at its farthest point. Where a dead-end road crosses areas of differing zoned parcel sizes, requiring different length limits, the shortest allowable length shall apply.

C. Exemptions. In such cases where development is proposed on dead-end roads exceeding these distances, one of the following mitigation measures must be met:

1. A minimum of two thousand five hundred gallons of water available on that parcel for immediate use for fire protection in addition to the maximum daily amount required for domestic needs; or

2. A common water source is utilized specified in 8.30.380;

3. When the standards of the local fire protection district are satisfied and such standards are more restrictive than the county standards and the project is within such a district or its sphere of influence;

4. A site specific water supply system based upon unusual site characteristics that do not lessen the degree of fire protection given and has been deemed acceptable by the designated CDF representative;

5. Where the subject site is located within an existing special district which provides fire protection services when allowed by the district board of directors, the applicant shall pay into a trust account an amount of seven hundred fifty dollars which will be utilized only for the purchase and maintenance of a two thousand five hundred gallon water tender or equivalent.

D. Where parcels are zoned five acres or larger, turnarounds shall be provided at a maximum of one thousand three hundred twenty foot intervals.

E. Each dead-end road shall have a turnaround constructed at its terminus.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

All driveways shall provide a minimum ten-foot traffic lane and unobstructed vertical clearance of fifteen feet along its entire length.

A. Driveways exceeding one hundred fifty feet in length, but less than eight hundred feet in length, shall provide a turnout near the midpoint of the driveway. Where the driveway exceeds eight hundred feet, turnouts shall be provided no more than four hundred feet apart.

B. A turnaround shall be provided at all building sites on driveways over three hundred feet in length, and shall be within fifty feet of the building.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)

A. Gate entrances shall be at least two feet wider than the width of traffic lane(s) serving that gate.

B. All gates providing access from a road to a driveway shall be located at least thirty feet from the roadway and shall open to allow a vehicle to stop without obstructing traffic on that road.

C. Where a one-way road with a single traffic lane provides access to a gated entrance, a forty foot turning radius shall be used.

(Ord. 1162 §1 Exh. A(part), 1991)