Design standards

(a)

Streets.

(1)

Conformance. All streets shall conform to those standards established by the department of resilience and public works.

(2)

Relation to adjoining street system. New streets in any subdivision shall continue the established grid system and shall be contiguous and coterminous.

(3)

Street jogs prohibited. Street jogs shall be prohibited unless, because of unusual conditions, the supervisor of plats determines that a centerline offset is justified.

(4)

Dead-end streets or culs-de-sac. Dead-end streets or culs-de-sac, designed to be so permanently, shall not be longer than 600 feet, and at the closed end, a turnaround having an outside roadway diameter of at least 84 feet, and a street property line diameter of at least 100 feet, shall be required. A "T" type turning area may be allowed on existing dead-end streets, if recommended by the supervisor of plats and approved by the plat and street committee, subject to compliance with landscaping requirements to be determined by city planning, building and zoning department. If a dead-end street is of a temporary nature, a similar turnaround may be required, and provision made for future extension of the street into adjoining property, as may be required by the supervisor of plats.

(5)

Angle of intersection. Streets shall be laid out so as to intersect as nearly as possible at right angles.

(6)

Rounding of corners. Property lines at street intersections shall be rounded with a radius of 25 feet, except, where existing buildings or structures occupy all or a portion of the external area of the 25-foot radius, the supervisor of plats may reduce or eliminate the requirements for a rounded corner radius in which case the property owner shall proffer a covenant to run with the land in accordance with the requirements of the city Code. Where the angle of the intersecting roadways is less than 87 degrees, the supervisor of plats may reduce the required corner radius. A greater radius may be prescribed by the supervisor of plats in special cases. The supervisor of plats may permit comparable cutoffs or chords in place of rounded corners.

(7)

Minimum width. Minimum required right-of-way widths shall be as designated in chapter 54, "Streets and Sidewalks," of the Code of the city. In the event the historic and environmental preservation board finds that an existing wall located within the undedicated portion of the zoned street width has significant historical value and recommends that said wall be preserved, the supervisor of plats may waive all or a portion of the required dedication to allow the existing wall to remain, in which case the property owner shall proffer a covenant to run with the land in accordance with the requirements in the city Code.

(8)

Half streets. Creation of half streets shall be prohibited, except where essential to the reasonable development of the subdivision in conformity with other requirements of these regulations, and where the supervisor of plats finds it will be practical to require the dedication of the other half when adjoining property is subdivided. Whenever a half street is adjacent to a tract to be subdivided, the other half street shall be platted within such tracts.

(9)

Names and numbers. No street names or numbers shall be used which will be confused with or duplicate the name of existing streets. Street names shall be subject to approval of the supervisor of plats, in accordance with chapter 54 of the Code of the city.

(b)

Alleys.

(1)

Alleys shall be dedicated in commercial and industrial districts, except that the plat and street committee may waive this requirement where other definite and assured provision is made for security and service access, such as off-street loading, unloading, and parking consistent and adequate for the uses proposed.

(2)

The width of any alley shall not be less than 20 feet.

(c)

Easements.

(1)

Easements shall be provided for utilities where necessary.

(2)

Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainageway or canal, there shall be provided a canal maintenance easement or right-of-way conforming substantially with the lines of such watercourse, and of such width as shall be required by the city resilience and public works department and/or Miami-Dade public works/waste management department.

(d)

Lots.

(1)

The lot depth, shape and orientation, and the minimum building setback lines shall be appropriate for the location of the subdivision and the type of development and use contemplated.

(2)

Lot dimensions, after dedication of necessary rights-of-way, shall conform to the requirements of Miami 21, the zoning code, as amended, for regular or irregular conforming lots. The provisions of subsection 7.2.7 of Miami 21, as amended, shall not apply to plats which subdivide unplatted land, or a combination of platted lots and unplatted land.

(3)

Each lot within a subdivision shall be provided with satisfactory access to and frontage on an existing, or newly dedicated, public street or private road.

(4)

Where lots are created, each lot may be provided with perpetual right of access by private street or roadway, intersecting with an existing public street, as set forth below:

a.

A minimum width of 25 feet shall be dedicated to the abutting property owners by plat.

b.

A minimum pavement width of 18 feet, with a 3½-foot swale area on each side.

c.

A minimum pavement width of 22 feet is required at fire hydrant locations, for a distance of 20 feet on each side of the hydrant, with a 3½-foot-wide swale area on each side.

d.

A minimum radius of 45 feet on culs-de-sac.

e.

On private roads, 150 feet or less in length from the public right-of-way to the end of the private street, or roadway, a "T" type turning area may be substituted for the required cul-de-sac, sufficient for the maneuvering of fire or other emergency vehicles.

f.

The right-of-way may be divided to protect natural features. The minimum right-of-way for each section of divided road shall be 15 feet, with a minimum ten-foot pavement width and with a 3½-foot-wide swale area on each outer edge.

g.

Curved rights-of-way shall have a minimum inside pavement radius of 30 feet.

h.

A 25-foot radius shall be provided at the intersection of private roads and publicly dedicated rights-of-way.

i.

A minimum vertical clearance of 16 feet shall be provided for the entire right-of-way.

j.

Drainage shall be provided according to accepted engineering standards.

k.

All construction shall meet the city minimum standards.

l.

A restriction will be required on the record plat to the effect that:

1.

The private road will be maintained by the subdivider and/or abutting property owners in perpetuity; and

2.

No attempt shall be made to dedicate the private right-of-way to the public.

m.

A one-way private street may be utilized for a single-family platted subdivision under the following conditions:

1.

A minimum dedicated right-of-way width of 18 feet.

2.

A minimum pavement width of 17 feet. A reduction of pavement width to 15 feet will be allowed for no more than ten percent of the overall length of the roadway in order to preserve archeological and landscaping features.

3.

Curved rights-of-way shall have a minimum inside pavement radius of 30 feet.

4.

No parking will be permitted within the 18 feet of dedicated right-of-way.

5.

A site plan and storm drainage plan shall be submitted with the tentative plat wherein said storm drainage plan design shall be confirmed through the submission of calculations to accommodate the runoff of a storm event with a one- in five-year design return frequency without ponding. Said storm drainage plan and calculations shall be signed and sealed by an engineer of professional registry in the State of Florida.

(5)

Side lot lines shall, where possible, be substantially at right angles or radial to street right-of-way lines.

(6)

No lots shall be established which do not provide safe, convenient access for public service, police, fire and rescue vehicles.

(7)

Double frontage or through lots shall be avoided.

(8)

No plat be so designed as to create a parcel, or lot, which is "landlocked," i.e., one that has no direct access to and frontage on a publicly dedicated street or private road.

(9)

No plat shall be so designed as to create a remainder of a previously platted lot, or an unplatted tract of land, which is a substandard building site in accordance with the provisions of Miami 21.

(e)

Acceptance of dedication. The dedication of public spaces shall not constitute an acceptance of the dedication by the city. The acceptance of the dedication shall be indicated by a resolution of the city commission and by an indication on the plat of such acceptance.

(f)

Adjustments to design standards. The supervisor of plats may authorize an adjustment to the design standards when in his/her opinion undue hardship may result from strict compliance with such standards. The standards may be adjusted to prevent hardship; provided, such adjustment will not have the effect of nullifying the intent and purpose of the overall community plan. In granting an adjustment, the supervisor of plats may prescribe any conditions that he/she deems necessary and desirable in the public interest. In making his/her findings the supervisor of plats shall take into account, among other factors, (i) the nature of the proposed use of the land and the existing use of the land and buildings, and (ii) the number of persons to reside or work in the proposed subdivision and the probable effect of the proposed subdivision upon traffic conditions in the vicinity. No adjustments may be granted unless the supervisor of plats finds that all four of the following conditions exist in regard to the land concerned:

(1)

That there are special circumstances or conditions affecting the property and that strict compliance of the design standards would deprive the applicant of reasonable use of his/her land;

(2)

That the adjustment is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a substantial property right of the applicant;

(3)

That the granting of an adjustment will not be detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the other property in the vicinity in which the property is situated; and

(4)

That the adjustment will not unreasonably burden city services, including adjacent streets.

(Ord. No. 9584, § 1, 3-24-83; Ord. No. 9961, § 1, 2-14-85; Ord. No. 10330, § 1, 10-22-87; Ord. No. 10704, § 1, 2-7-90; Ord. No. 10730, § 1, 5-24-90; Ord. No. 10742, § 1, 6-28-90; Code 1980, § 54.5-12; Ord. No. 13467, § 3, 6-12-14; Ord. No. 13676, § 2, 4-27-17; Ord. No. 13792, § 1, 10-11-18; Ord. No. 13919, § 3, 9-24-20)

City Code cross references—Street names and numbering, § 54-121 et seq.; standard street widths, § 54-187.