Turlock Municipal Code Art. 1 Policy And Definitions

In enacting the provisions of this chapter, the Council hereby finds that land development and the increase in population density cause existing streets and highways to become inadequate in width and development to provide minimum acceptable services to the lands being developed, and therefore the public is being denied streets and highways of minimum urban standards for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian use and travel.

It is recognized that provisions must be made for curbs, gutters, and sidewalks along the street frontages of property and for vehicular access to property from streets and alleys, and, in so doing, due consideration must be given to on-street parking and to pedestrian and vehicular safety.

In establishing permissible driveways for access to private property, it shall be the policy of the City to authorize such driveways only where they are necessary and only where they will not unreasonably interfere with the rights of the public in the sidewalk area and in the adjacent street or alley, or unreasonably interfere with vehicular traffic, or unreasonably eliminate on-street parking spaces.

For the purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise apparent from the context, certain words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:

(a)

"Curb grade"

shall mean the elevation of the curb line with reference to the City datum as established by the City Engineer.

(b)

"Sidewalk planting strip"

shall mean that portion of the street right-of-way between the property line and the curb line.

(c)

"Sidewalk"

shall mean that portion of the sidewalk planting strip established for pedestrian use. In those areas where a sidewalk does not exist, the City Engineer shall determine the location of the sidewalk area.

(d)

"Planting strip"

shall mean that portion of the sidewalk planting strip not required for sidewalk, driveway, or curb use.

(e)

"Curb line"

shall mean the line of intersection of the vertical projection from the flow line of the gutter and the horizontal top surface of the curb. In those areas where curbs and gutters do not exist, the City Engineer shall determine the location of the curb and gutter from which the curb line will be established.

(f)

"Driveway"

shall mean the area required for vehicular access to a property across the sidewalk planting strip.

(g)

"Property owner"

shall mean the owner of the property for which the permit is issued or his duly authorized representative.

(h)

"Improvement security"

shall mean one or more of the following:

(1)

A cash deposit or deposits approved by the City;

(2)

A bond by one or more duly authorized corporate sureties; and

(3)

An instrument of credit from one or more financial institutions subject to regulation by the State or Federal government pledging that the funds necessary to meet the improvements are on deposit and guaranteed for payment and agreeing that the funds designated by the instrument shall become trust funds for the purposes set forth in the permit.

(i)

"Property line"

shall mean the line bounding the street right-of-way and being the division line between such street and the private property on either side thereof.

(j)

"Sidewalk grade"

shall mean the elevation of sidewalk lines with reference to the City datum as established by the City Engineer.

(k)

"Street"

shall mean the land dedicated or used for public street or alley purposes and shall include the traveled way and all land lying between the traveled way and the private property right-of-way line.

(l)

"Street center line"

shall mean the line determined and established by the City as the true or ultimately true center line of any street, partial street, proposed street, or street easement or right-of-way.