§ 33-7.5.2. Street design standards.

(a)

Street design, generally. The standards established by this Section shall apply to all public and private streets in Jefferson Parish. The comprehensive plan and Jefferson Parish Thoroughfare Plan shall be used to determine the location and design of future arterial and collector streets. Street and sidewalk design and construction, including off-site improvements and drainage, shall be in conformance with the Jefferson Parish Subdivision Public Improvements Standards Manual. Exceptions to the requirements of this section shall be obtained in writing from the engineering director.

(b)

Street classification. All streets shall be classified as in accordance with the Jefferson Parish Thoroughfare Plan. Any existing street that is not already classified in the Jefferson Parish Thoroughfare Plan shall be considered to be a local street, unless otherwise designated by the planning director in consultation with the public works director and subject to confirmation by the parish council. In classifying streets, the parish shall consider projected traffic demands after twenty (20) years of development.

(c)

   Street cross-section standards:

(1)

All street improvements intended to be accepted for maintenance by the parish shall be designed according to the standards established in the Jefferson Parish Thoroughfare Plan and in accordance with the Jefferson Parish Subdivision Public Improvements Standards Manual.

(2)

Local streets shall have a minimum right-of-way of at least fifty (50) feet in width and shall be paved for a width of twenty-six (26) feet, measured from back of curb to back of curb. Where the parish council finds that a hardship exists, a minimum right-of-way of no less than forty (40) feet may be accepted, subject to the provision of servitudes on each side of the street measuring at least five (5) feet in width and minimum setbacks of thirty (30) feet for front loading garage doors.

(d)

Alignment. Local streets shall maintain connectivity, but shall be aligned to discourage use by through traffic. Arterial and collector streets shall establish continuous routes.

(e)

Street extensions. Proposed streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the tract to be subdivided, unless the parish council determines that such extension is not feasible.

(f)

Traffic calming. The parish may require traffic calming in accordance with the Jefferson Parish Thoroughfare Plan for neighborhood collector or local streets through residential neighborhoods, within one-quarter (1/4) mile of a park or school, or any other location where the parish finds the need to abate traffic speed to promote a safer pedestrian environment.

(g)

Adequate traffic circulation. Neighborhood collector and local streets shall be designed to discourage through traffic, but shall be designed to safely convey all anticipated traffic.

(h)

Lot access. Every lot shall have approved access to a public right-of-way or private street designed in conformance with the Jefferson Parish Subdivision Public Improvements Standards Manual. Driveways shall be reviewed and approved by the public works director.

(i)

Street connections. Streets shall connect with those already dedicated in adjoining or adjacent subdivisions and provide for future connections to adjoining unsubdivided tracts whenever feasible. New development shall, at a minimum, meet the following access and connectivity standards:

(1)

Any collector or arterial street connection shown in the Jefferson Parish Thoroughfare Plan shall be extended through the subdivision and connect to existing or planned extensions of the street.

(2)

Except where a subdivision abuts a canal, river, railroad, interstate or major arterial, at least one (1) street connection per one thousand (1,000) feet shall be provided to the abutting property along the subdivision perimeter.

(3)

For gated communities with private streets, the parish council may modify the standards of paragraph (2) (above) after addressing connectivity needs for emergency access, traffic patterns in the vicinity of the subdivision and bicycle/ pedestrian needs.

(j)

Dead-end streets. Permanent dead-end streets are prohibited. Except as authorized by the parish council, all proposed streets must be extended to the property line. The council may require the construction of a temporary turnaround having a minimum radius as provided in the following paragraph, or other design approved by the fire department. Any dead-end street more than six-hundred (600) feet long shall be provided with a turn-around at the closed end at least sixty (60) feet in radius.

(k)

Temporary dead-end streets. If the adjacent property is undeveloped and the street must temporarily be a dead-end street, the right-of-way shall be extended to the property line. A temporary cul-de-sac, T- or L-shaped turnabout shall be provided on all temporary dead-end streets, with the notation on the subdivision plat that land outside the normal street right-of-way shall revert to abutting property owners whenever the street is continued. The parish may limit the length of temporary dead-end streets in accordance with these regulations.

(l)

Corrections/jogs. Offset streets shall be avoided where possible. Street jogs with centerline offsets of less than one-hundred twenty-five (125) feet shall not be permitted, except where the intersected street has divided lanes without median breaks.

(m)

Intersection of streets. The angle of intersection between streets shall not vary by more than ten (10) degrees from a right angle unless the intersection is configured as a traffic circle.

(n)

Minimum curb radius. At the intersection of two (2) local streets, the minimum curb radii shall be a least twelve (12) feet. At an intersection involving a collector or arterial street, the minimum curb radii shall be at least twenty-five (25) feet. Alley intersections and abrupt changes in alignment within a block shall have the corners cut off in accordance with standard engineering practice to permit safe vehicular movement.

(o)

Cul-de-sac streets. Cul-de-sacs and courts shall be no longer than six-hundred (600) feet measured from the intersection of the centerlines of the cul-de-sac and the street from which it begins to the farthest curb face. The parish may require a pedestrian crosswalk located in a fifteen (15) feet wide servitude to connect the cul-de-sac with adjacent development. The minimum dimensions for the pavement width and right-of-way width shall be as shown in Table 33-7.5.2- 1.

Table 33-7.5.2-1: Cul-de-sac Standards

Cul-de-sac length	Minimum pavement radius	Minimum right-of-way radius
Less than 300 ft	38 feet	50 feet
300 ft or more	60 feet	72 feet

 

(p)

Pedestrian walkways. Where blocks are over six-hundred (600) feet in length, the parish may require a pedestrian crosswalk located in a fifteen (15) feet wide servitude near the center of the block.

(q)

Alleys. Alleys with a twenty (20) feet wide right-of-way and eighteen (18) feet of paved roadway may be required in commercial areas, in the rear lots of multiple family districts unless other adequate provisions are made for service and deliveries, and where justified by special conditions such as the continuation of an existing alley in the same block. Alleys are not required in residential districts. Dead-end alleys are prohibited.

(r)

Half streets. Half streets are prohibited, except where an existing platted half street abuts the subdivision. Where a platted half street exists, the other half street shall be required to be completed by the applicant.

(s)

Street names. Streets in alignment with existing streets shall bear the names of the existing streets. Proposed street names that are in conflict with existing street names shall not be approved.

(t)

Street dedication. No street shall be accepted by the parish unless it meets the design standards established by this UDC.

(u)

Reserve strips. Where streets approach a property line of a tract being subdivided, the right-of-way shall extend to the edge of the property to allow for connectivity between abutting properties. Reserve or spite strips are prohibited.

(Ord. No. 24989 , § VII, 8-12-15)