5.4.D Street Connectivity | Sedona Land Development Code

D. Street Connectivity

Street and block patterns should include a clear hierarchy of well-connected streets that distribute traffic over multiple streets and avoid traffic congestion on principal routes. Within each development, the access and circulation system should accommodate the safe, efficient, and convenient movement of vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians through the development, and provide ample opportunities for linking adjacent neighborhoods, properties, and land uses. Local neighborhood street systems are intended to provide multiple direct connections to and between local destinations such as parks, schools, and shopping.

The vehicular access and circulation for a development shall incorporate the continuation and connection of public street roadways and associated rights-of-way that have been extended or connected to the boundary of the development site from existing or approved abutting developments.

The vehicular access and circulation for a development shall provide for the extension or connection of proposed internal public street roadways and associated rights-of-way to those boundaries of the development site whenever such extensions or connections are or may be necessary to ensure that the development site or the abutting property will have:

1. At least two vehicular access points to and from an external through street system;

2. Convenient and efficient access by vehicles needed to provide police, fire, and emergency services; and

3. Convenient and efficient access by vehicles needed to provide other public services.

An extension or connection of a public street roadway and right-of-way to an abutting property, street, or right-of-way shall include the extension or connection of associated bikeways and sidewalks.

The Director and/or the City Engineer may require a temporary turnaround at the end of a roadway extension if needed to facilitate traffic flow or to accommodate emergency vehicles pending the roadway’s connection to other roadways.

The Director and/or the City Engineer may waive or modify the requirements or standards for extension or connection of a public roadway from or to an abutting property if such extension is impractical or undesirable because it would:

1. Require crossing a significant physical barrier or environmentally sensitive area (e.g., watercourses, floodplains, riparian areas, steep slopes, wildfire hazard areas);

2. Require the extension or connection of a proposed internal public street to an abutting property with existing development whose design makes it unlikely that the street will ever be part of a network of public streets (for example, the abutting existing development has no public streets, or there are no “stubbed-out” street rights-of-way or open corridors between the proposed development site and public streets in the abutting development to accommodate a current or future extension or connection);

3. Require the extension or connection of a proposed internal public street to an abutting property owned by a government or public utility to which vehicular access is restricted, or other property to which vehicular access is restricted by easement or deed; or

4. Require the extension or connection of a proposed internal public street to an abutting property that is developed or zoned for a use whose level and type of generated traffic would be incompatible with the proposed development.

a. Where residential developments have cul-de-sacs or dead-end streets, such streets shall be connected to the closest local or collector street or to cul-de-sacs in adjoining subdivisions via a sidewalk or shared-use path, except where deemed impractical by the Director.

b. All stub streets and temporary dead-end streets greater than 150 feet in length shall terminate in a cul-de-sac.

The standards of this subsection apply to all residential, commercial, and industrial development. They do not apply to individual detached houses with gated private driveways. For the purpose of this provision and this section, the term “gate” means any barrier or similar device that would allow access or passage to a certain person, group of people, or type of traffic and not to the general public or to transient traffic.

Public streets, sidewalks, bicycle and pedestrian pathways, and public alleys may not be gated.

No other street, driveway, sidewalk, bicycle or pedestrian pathway, or alley may be gated and no vehicular or pedestrian/bicycle (traffic) access may be otherwise restricted along any street without the City’s express written approval, in accordance with the standards of this section.

Permission to restrict access from public streets to private streets or to gate or otherwise restrict access to private streets, driveways, sidewalks, bicycle and pedestrian pathways, and alleys may be granted by the City Engineer in conjunction with the Director; provided, that the proposed design does not result in a restriction of access to any existing street, sidewalk, bicycle or pedestrian pathway, or alley. Before approval of any restriction on access to a newly created street, sidewalk, bicycle or pedestrian pathway, or alley, the City Engineer in conjunction with the Director shall forward the request to the Sedona Fire District and any other relevant agencies for their review and comment. [Res. 2019-19 Exh. A, 10-8-19].