HomeMy WebLinkAboutSUB200800240 Review Comments Private road request 2009-01-21�1RCtN1P
County of Albemarle
Department of Community Development
Memorandum
From: Amy Pflaum, Current Development Engineering Review
Date: 21 January 2009
Subject: Little Yellow Mountain Subdivision (SUB200800240) private street request
The request for a private street submitted according to Subdivision Ordinance section 14 -232
has been reviewed. The proposed street is an upgrade to an existing driveway currently
serving the parcel. The private street would be required to meet the standard for private
streets serving three to five lots (14- 412A2). A standard turnaround is proposed at the point
where two driveways exit the street, and the street may be reduced to the two -lot standard.
The proposed subdivision creates four residential lots. The projected traffic expected from four
lots is 40 vehicle trips per day. The proposed private street is adequate to carry this traffic
volume.
The proposed design of the private street meets the following requirements of the ordinance for
streets serving three to five lots (14- 412A2): minimum K values for vertical curves (5 and 15),
100 -foot sight distance, 30 -foot minimum easement width (50 foot is proposed), and horizontal
curve minimum 40 -foot radius. The design must also meet the requirement of 14- 412A2a
regarding a 14 -foot minimum travelway width. A road meeting the three to five lot criteria
would be constructed to the point where two driveways exit the road and the turnaround is
provided, this road would be approximately 1450 feet in length. A road meeting the two -lot
standard would be allowed beyond this point, since a "farm road" exists in this alignment,
minimal earthwork would be required.
A public street to serve this subdivision would need to meet the VDOT standards for a Rural
Local Road serving less than 400 vehicle trips per day. The requirements are as follows:
minimum K values for vertical curves (7 and 17), 125 -foot sight distance, 50 -foot minimum
easement width, horizontal curve minimum 108 -foot radius, and an 18 -foot travelway width.
The public street would need to be constructed to the upper -most boundary of proposed Parcel X,
this would be approximately 2150 feet in length. The width criteria of the public street would
also require widening of the existing bridge across Powell's Creek and disturbance to the stream
buffer.
Engineering staff review has resulted in both favorable and unfavorable findings. Constructing a
public street to meet these requirements would require significantly more earthwork and more
disturbance to critical slopes and to the Powell's Creek stream buffer than the construction of a
private street. The private street could be allowed under Section 14- 232(A)(1) because it will
alleviate significant environmental degradation required with a public road. Engineering staff
Current Development
Engineering Review
page 2 of 2
does not see an alternative public road alignment that could decrease the anticipated earthwork
and disturbance to critical slopes. However, a public street would provide safer access to this
subdivision, therefore better serving the general welfare.
\\ Cob- dts01 \cityviewlnk\Docs \2008\ SUB \SUB200800240\E2_pry _ ADP _ Little Yellow Mtn Waivecdoc