Agenda Item # 5
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
03/23/2010
Agenda Report # 484
TO: Mayor and Council
SUBJECT: Wooldridge Heights Subdivision - Design Variances
INITIATED BY: Engineering Department
Recommendation: Recommend denial of a request for design variances for
Wooldridge Heights Subdivision as described in the attached resolution
requested by Wooldridge Heights Development, Inc.
Background: The Planning and Engineering Departments reviewed a Preliminary
Plat for the above named subdivision thru which the submitted plat was denied
for failure to meet subdivision design requirements. The following UDO design
requirements were not satisfied:
Design Requirement
1. Section 7.8.2. Street Classifications, Paragraph A. Low Volume Urban
Street - 300 or less Vehicles Per Day (VPD)
2. Section 7.8.2. Street Classification, Paragraph B. and B-4 Provision for
access - to adjoining properties
3. Section 7.8.3. Design Standards for Streets, Paragraph H., 1. Maximum
cul-de-sac length - 750 feet.
4. Section 7.8.3. Design Standards for Streets, Paragraph F., 4. Eyebrow
cul-de-sacs.
5. Section 7.8.4. Street Improvements, A. Minimum Width of Roadway - 31 feet
back of curb to back of curb.
Proposed Design
1. Wooldridge Heights Trail has 34 lots or 340 VPD and does not qualify as Low
Volume street.
2. Wooldridge Heights does not access Country Place Court or adjoining
undeveloped property.
3. Wooldridge Heights Trail length is about 2,916 feet in length.
4. Eyebrow Cul-de-sac with approaches longer than 500 feet.
5. Street width requested at 26 feet back of curb to back of curb.
Analysis: The Engineering and Planning Departments denial were based on the
fact that the development can meet the minimum design requirements and no
Hardships were identified as required by the UDO to consider variances:
1. Section 7.8.2.A Low Volume Urban Street - Had this subdivision proposed 30
lots or less on Wooldridge Heights Trail, it would qualify as Low Volume Urban
Streets allowing to the Director of Engineering to approve reduced design
standards as provided by the UDO. The preliminary plat shows 34 lots or 340
VPD which requires that the streets meet design standards. This street is
required to access adjoining undeveloped property meaning a higher traffic
volume is anticipated in the future.
2. Section 7.8.2. B.4. Provisions for accessing adjoining properties - local
subdivision streets are the base transportation network for any city. Local
residential streets interconnect subdivision as properties build out saving
travel distance, time, fuel and air pollution. Since the City is border line
on failing to meet Air Quality Standards, we need to design a smart street
networks with interconnecting streets. By allowing new subdivisions to become
islands on their own without connectivity to neighboring properties only
increases travel distance, time, fuel and air pollution. Country Place Court
is an existing street that was designed to provide that connection to this
property. There exists a large parcel of 159 acres north of this subdivision
and 78 acres to the east that street connectivity is required and needed for
future growth. Hunter's Point Subdivision off Moon Rd is an excellent example
of what happens when a subdivision does not connect to adjoining subdivision
finding today that residents experience extreme delays ingress/egressing their
subdivision.
3. Section 7.8.3. Cul-de-sac maximum length of 750 feet - The reason that
cul-de-sacs need to be short in length is not to violate driver expectations of
being on a continuous street suddenly finding a dead end and increased accident
potential. The proposed street length of 2,916 feet Wooldridge Heights Trail
is excessive.
4. Section 7.8.3. Design Standards for Streets, F.4 - The length of the
street segments leading to the proposed Eyebrow cul-de-sacs greatly exceed the
minimum 500 feet which increases the potential for accidents at the
cul-de-sac. This can be easily remedied by converting the Eyebrow cul-de-sac
to a three legged intersection with a cul-de-sac to one side.
5. Section 7.8.4. Street Improvements, A. Minimum Width of Roadway - Since
Wooldridge Heights Trail does not meet the definition of a Low Volume Urban
Street, then, a narrower roadway is not allowed by the UDO.
Financial Considerations: There is not a financial cost to accepting the
proposed subdivision plat design. There is an increased cost to motorists as
properties develop around the subdivision by requiring them to drive longer
distance when traveling back and forth to work, shopping, etc.
Legal Considerations: Staff cannot approve preliminary plats that do not meet
the minimum design requirements of the UDO.
Recommendations/ Actions: While a Resolution is attached for Council
consideration of the variances requested, the Engineering and Planning
departments recommend denial. Based on the staff's review, the development is
capable of meeting the minimum design requirements.
A RESOLUTION
NO. _____
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING DESIGN VARIANCES FOR THE PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR
WOOLDRIDGE HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION TO UDO SECTION 7.8.2.A TO ALLOW WOOLDRIDGE
HEIGHTS TRAIL TO BE CLASSIFIED AS A LOW VOLUME URBAN STREET FOR DESIGN
PURPOSES; TO SECTION 7.8.2.B.4 TO EXEMPT STREET EXTENSION TO ADJOINING
SUBDIVISION AND UNDEVELOPED PROPERTIES; TO SECTION 7.8.3.H.1 TO ALLOW
WOOLDRIDGE HEIGHTS TRAIL, A CUL-DE-SAC STREET TO HAVE A LENGTH IN EXCESS OF 750
FEET; TO SECTION 7.8.3.F.4 TO ALLOW AN EYEBROW CUL-DE-SAC WITH APPROACH STREET
LENGTHS LONGER THAN 500 FEET; AND TO SECTION 7.8.4.A TO ALLOW A STREET WIDTH OF
26 FEET WITH MOUNTABLE CURB AND GUTTER.
WHEREAS, Section 7.8.2.A defines a Low Volume Urban Street as a street having
300 or less Vehicles Per Day to allow a variance to Wooldridge Heights Trail to
be designated as a Low Volume Urban Street for design purposes; and,
WHEREAS, Section 7.8.2.B.4 requires new street layouts to extend into existing
street stub outs from adjoining street of Country Place Court and to adjoining
undeveloped properties to exempt Wooldridge Heights subdivision from these
requirements; and,
WHEREAS, Section 7.8.3.H.1. requires cul-de-sac streets to have street lengths
of 750 feet or less to exempt Wooldridge Heights Trail from said requirement;
and,
WHEREAS, Section 7.8.3.F.4. requires that street approaches to an Eyebrow
cul-de-sac be 500 feet or less to allow approaches longer than 500 feet; and,
WHEREAS, Section 7.8.4.A. requires minimum street width of 31 feet back of curb
to back of curb to allow Wooldridge Heights Trail to be designed with a street
width of 26 feet using mountable curb and gutter as measured back of curb to
back of curb.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE DESIGN VARIANCES
FOR THE PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR WOOLDRIDGE HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION TO UDO SECTION
7.8.2.A TO ALLOW WOOLDRIDGE HEIGHTS TRAIL TO BE CLASSIFIED AS A LOW VOLUME
URBAN STREET FOR DESIGN PURPOSES; TO SECTION 7.8.2.B.4 TO EXEMPT STREET
EXTENSION TO ADJOINING SUBDIVISION AND UNDEVELOPED PROPERTIES; TO SECTION
7.8.3.H.1 TO ALLOW WOOLDRIDGE HEIGHTS TRAIL, A CUL-DE-SAC STREET TO HAVE A
LENGTH IN EXCESS OF 750 FEET; TO SECTION 7.8.3.F.4 TO ALLOW AN EYEBROW
CUL-DE-SAC WITH APPROACH STREET LENGTHS LONGER THAN 500 FEET; AND TO SECTION
7.8.4.A TO ALLOW A STREET WIDTH OF 26 FEET WITH MOUNTABLE CURB AND GUTTER.
___________
Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held
the _________day of _____________, and adopted at said meeting by the
affirmative vote of _____________members of said Council.
Councilor Allen voting __________.
Councilor Henderson voting __________.
Councilor Hunter voting __________.
Councilor McDaniel voting __________.
Councilor Turner Pugh voting __________.
Councilor Woodson voting __________.
___________________________________ _____________________________
Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council , Mayor
Attachments