§ 14-200. Access management.

The following standards shall apply to all subdivisions and all projects requiring a land development permit where the primary access is from a state or federal highway or an arterial classified as a major, minor or residential arterial or collector street in the DeKalb County Transportation and Thoroughfare Plan. These standards shall apply unless a more restrictive standard is required by the Georgia Department of Transportation:

(1)

Commercial or office properties may be required, based on site conditions as determined by the development director, to provide a cross access drive and pedestrian access to allow circulation between sites. Cross access is not required between non-residential uses and single-family uses.

(2)

Joint driveways, cross access easements and pedestrian access shall be established wherever feasible along a major or minor arterial or collector street. The building site shall incorporate the following:

a.

Continuous service drive or cross access corridor extending the entire length of each block served to provide for driveway separation of at least 1,000 feet of linear frontage along the thoroughfare.

b.

A design speed of ten (10) mph and a two-way travel aisle width of twenty-four (24) feet to accommodate automobiles, service vehicles, and loading vehicles.

c.

Stub-outs and other design features to indicate that abutting properties may be connected to provide cross access via a service drive.

(3)

Reserved.

(4)

The development director may reduce the required separation distance of access points where they prove impractical, provided all of the following requirements are met:

a.

Joint access driveways and cross access easements are provided in accordance with this section.

b.

The site plan incorporates a unified vehicular and pedestrian access and circulation system in accordance with this section.

c.

The property owner shall enter a written agreement with DeKalb County, recorded with the deed, that pre-existing connections on the site that do not meet the requirements of section 14-200 will be closed and eliminated after construction of each side of the joint use driveway.

(5)

All developments shall have access to a public right-of-way. The number of access points shall be as follows:

Minimum Number of Access Points

Type of Development	Minimum No. of Access Points	Type of Primary Access
Residential, under 75 units	1	Residential arterial or collector street
Residential, 76—150 units	2	Residential arterial or collector street
Residential, 151—300	3	Collector street
Residential over 300 units	4	Collector street
Nonresidential, less than 300 required parking spaces	1	Collector street
Nonresidential, 300—999 required parking spaces	2	Major or minor arterial or collector street
Nonresidential, 1,000 or more required parking spaces	2 or more as determined by the department	Major or minor arterial or collector street

 

(6)

The separation of access points on a major or minor arterial or collector street shall be determined by the speed limit of the road with the following minimum spacing requirements:

Posted Speed Limit of Road	Minimum Driveway Spacing
Less than 35 MPH	125 feet
36 to 45 MPH	245 feet
Greater than 45 MPH	440 feet

 

a.

The distance between access points shall be measured from the centerline of the proposed driveway or public street to the centerline of the nearest existing adjacent driveway or public street.

b.

Driveway spacing at intersections and corners shall provide adequate sight distance, response time, and permit adequate queuing space.

c.

No driveway, except residential access, shall be allowed within one hundred (100) feet of the centerline of an intersecting arterial or collector street.

d.

No non-residential access except right in/right out channelized access shall be allowed within one hundred (100) feet of the centerline of any other major or minor arterial.

e.

The requirements of this section are not intended to eliminate all access to a parcel of land that was legally subdivided prior to the enactment of this section.

(7)

Where major or minor arterials or collector streets include medians, directional median openings shall be separated by a minimum of three hundred thirty (330) feet and full median openings shall be separated by a minimum of six hundred sixty (660) feet.

(h)

All street design and other development activities, including landscaping, shall be arranged on site so as to provide safe and convenient access for emergency vehicles.

(i)

Along major or minor arterials, residential arterials, or collector streets, a deceleration lane, a turn lane, larger or reduced turning radius, traffic islands or other devices or designs, including traffic claming devices and designs, may be required to avoid specific traffic hazards which would otherwise be created by the proposed driveway location.

(j)

Deceleration lanes are required for subdivision entrances of subdivisions of twenty (20) or more units that provide less sight distance (in feet) than ten (10) times the posted speed limit (in miles per hour). The minimum deceleration lengths shall be as specified below. The director may vary length requirements based upon a consideration of available sight distances.

Deceleration Lanes

Operating Speed	Deceleration Lanes
Subdivision Streets	Not Required
35 mph	150'+50' taper
40 mph	150'+50' taper
45 mph	150'+50' taper
55 mph	200'+150' taper

 

Deceleration lanes located within 75' of an intersection radius may be extended to the intersection.

(Ord. No. 30-02, Pt. II, 7-9-02; Ord. No. 07-19, Pt. I, 11-19-07)