§ 50-12. Required improvements.

Prior to consideration by the county for the final approval of any subdivision, manufactured house park, or residential or commercial development, the following private or public improvements, facilities, and utilities shall be fully planned and their completion guaranteed by the developer's providing the county with a payment and performance bond, an irrevocable letter of credit, or by the full payment of the cost of those improvements. The full cost of all submissions required for approval and all required improvements shall be borne entirely by the owner/developer.

(1)

General.

a.

An outline survey and site development plan, prepared and signed by an engineer, architect, or surveyor licensed by the state, together with a certificate of approval from the county health department shall accompany the application for approval submitted to the zoning administrator for review. An application review fee in an amount determined and approved by the county shall be paid together with the application.

b.

The developer shall submit the names of streets for approval by the county certifying that the proposed names are not confusingly similar to other existing named streets. The decision of the zoning administrator approving or disapproving the proposed names shall be final.

c.

The developer shall comply with chapter 16, article VI of this Code and guidelines set forth in the latest edition of the Georgia Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control. The location of the erosion control devices may have to be altered from that shown on the approved plans due to changes in drainage patterns created during construction. It is the developer's responsibility to accomplish erosion control for all drainage patterns created at various stages during construction. Any difficulty in controlling erosion during any phase of construction shall be immediately reported to the county. Failure to properly install, operate, or maintain all erosion control measures may result in all site activity being stopped until such measures are corrected to the satisfaction of the county.

d.

If sanitary sewer lines cannot be connected to a sewer trunk line at the time of development, an individual sewage disposal system for each lot shall be installed by and at the expense of the developer or owner in conformity with the requirements of the county health department.

e.

If available, water mains shall be provided within the development or manufactured house park, with connections to each lot; also, adequate fire hydrants must be provided. The developer/subdivider shall provide adequate water and sewer services in accordance with the rules and regulations of the county water and sewer system.

f.

All residential developments must be connected to a public water system, if available, at the expense of the developer, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the county water and sewer system.

g.

If water and/or sewer services are available within 500 feet of the subdivision or manufactured house park, the owner shall tie into the existing public system.

h.

Prior to final project approval and to the commencement of all infrastructure improvements (including, but not limited to, road and site grading, base, and paving in compliance with section 50-12(2), and curbs, gutters, sidewalks, water, and sewer installations) the developer shall cause to be executed in favor of the county, a surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit in the amount of 100 percent of the cost of the improvements issued by a company or financial institution authorized to do business in the state, which bond or letter of credit shall remain in force for a period of one year following acceptance of the improvements by the county. No building permits shall be issued by the county to the developer until said bond or irrevocable letter of credit in a form acceptable to the county has been furnished the county.

i.

Prior to commencing construction, the developer must submit an outline survey and a site plan of the proposed development, prepared and signed by an engineer, architect, or surveyor licensed by the state, approved by the county planning commission, and showing the improvements required by this section. Said plan shall include, but not be limited to, a topographical survey showing existing four foot contours, all physical, environmental, and historical constraint areas such as streams, lakes, residential areas, etc., which might be affected by proposed development, proposed grades, 100-year flood elevations, if applicable, and all improvements. The county zoning department will provide a development checklist.

j.

The developer shall comply with sections 50-11(1) through (4).

k.

All utilities shall be installed underground.

l.

All buildings' finished floors, including basements and garages, shall be a minimum four feet above the 100 year water surface elevation of any drainage feature that may impact said structure.

m.

If actual site conditions, grading, or construction vary from approved plans, it is the owner/developer's responsibility to inform the engineer of record and the county zoning administrator for evaluation of the varied condition. project construction may be delayed during the assessment period.

n.

Sites affected by FEMA flood zones shall be referenced to mean sea level vertical datum. A permanent onsite benchmark shall be provided. Temporary benchmarks are required at all other sites and shall be shown on the plans.

o.

Access to each lot in said development may only be from an existing public street or a street designed and constructed as part of said development.

(2)

Base and paving.

a.

Base and paving in all noncommercial or nonindustrial developments and manufactured housing parks shall at least meet the following minimum specifications:

1.

Residential pavement shall be a minimum of 20 feet wide except in R-LM, R-HM, and R-MHP districts wherein the pavement shall be a minimum of 22 feet wide. Road beds and pavement width in curves shall be properly elevated and paved to provide safe travel. A cul-de-sac on any dead end road shall be graded, based and paved to provide a minimum 70-foot turnaround diameter.

2.

The road or street must be graded and must achieve a minimum 95-percent modified compaction using a "sheep foot roller" or the equivalent. The county public works department must inspect the graded roadbed before base material may be applied. The developer shall provide to the county compaction test results from a bonded testing facility that is approved by the state.

3.

Proper road and street drainage including driveway pipes must be installed by the developer at no expense to the county. A minimum 36 feet of drainpipe shall be provided at each intersection. Pipe shall be of sufficient diameter for maximum water flow projections. The pipe shall be either concrete or asphalt coated corrugated metal.

4.

Following inspection of the roadbed, a minimum of six inches of approved aggregate base must be applied. Base material and installation must be inspected by the county public works department prior to the application of any hard surface (paving). The paving contractor is required to have an inspection sticker issued by the state department of transportation (GDOT) on the asphalt spreader and chip spreader.

5.

The county reserves the right to require core testing under the direction of public works personnel to assure compliance.

6.

The developer shall have 180 days from approval, as provided in subsection (2)a.4. of this section, for paving to be completed. Roads or streets shall be paved using asphaltic concrete (plant mix). Specifications for plant mix asphalt shall be as follows:

i.

Any plant mix asphalt must comply with GDOT guidelines for the appropriate road or street.

ii.

Plant mix asphalt shall, under all circumstances, have a minimum thickness of two inches.

7.

Rights-of-way and road shoulders shall be graded, grassed, and/or re-grassed until sufficient ground cover is achieved.

8.

After the road or street has been completed, the county public works department must perform a final inspection of all paving; drainage and any other aspects related to future maintenance of the road or street.

9.

The developer shall furnish and maintain all necessary barricades and warning signs in the right-of-way while roadway frontage improvements are being made.

b.

Base and paving in all commercial and industrial development shall at least meet the following minimum specification:

1.

Pavement shall be a minimum of 24 feet wide. Road beds and pavement width in curves shall be properly elevated and paved to provide safe travel. A cul-de-sac on any dead end road shall be graded, based and paved to provide a minimum 150 feet turnaround diameter.

2.

The road or street must be graded and must achieve a minimum 95 percent modified compaction using a "sheep foot roller" or the equivalent. The county public works department must inspect the graded roadbed before base material may be applied. The developer shall provide to the county compaction test results from a bonded testing facility that is approved by the state.

3.

Proper road and street drainage including driveway pipes must be installed by the developer at no expense to the county. A minimum 36 feet of drainpipe shall be provided at each intersection. Pipe shall be of sufficient diameter for maximum water flow projections. The pipe shall be either concrete or asphalt coated corrugated metal.

4.

Following inspection of the roadbed, a minimum of eight inches of approved aggregate base must be applied. Base material and installation must be inspected by the county Public Works Department prior to the application of any hard surface (paving). The paving contractor is required to have an inspection sticker issued by GDOT on the asphalt spreader and chip spreader.

5.

The county reserves the right to require core testing under the direction of Public Works personnel to assure compliance.

6.

The developer shall have 180 days from approval, as provided in subsection (2)b.4. of this section, for paving to be completed. Roads or streets shall be paved using asphaltic concrete (plant mix). Specifications for plant mix asphalt shall be as follows:

i.

Any plant mix asphalt must comply with GDOT guidelines for the appropriate road or street.

ii.

All streets shall have a minimum thickness of two inches of "B" mix and 1 1/2 inches of "E" mix.

7.

Rights-of-way and road shoulders shall be graded, grassed, and/or re-grassed until sufficient ground cover is achieved.

8.

After the road or street has been completed, the county public works department must perform a final inspection of all paving, drainage and any other aspects related to future maintenance of the road or street.

9.

The developer shall furnish and maintain all necessary barricades and warning signs in the right-of-way while roadway frontage improvements are being made.

(3)

Street design. Prior to final project approval the developer shall provide road plans and profiles for all streets in the development design.

a.

The curb or pavement radii at intersections shall not be less than 25 feet.

b.

Street grades shall not be less than 1.5 percent nor more than 15 percent grade.

c.

Sight distances measured between points four feet above the roadway shall not be less than 400 feet for streets intersecting with county roads and 200 feet for all other streets.

d.

Horizontal curve radii at street centerline shall be not less than 200 feet for streets intersecting with county roads and 100 feet for all other streets. A minimum of 100 feet of tangent must be provided between reverse curves and a minimum of 50 feet of tangent must be provided on intersecting streets.

e.

All intersections with existing county roads must be approved by the public works department. Where circumstances warrant, in the opinion of the public works department, acceleration and deceleration lanes may be required which meet at least the GDOT requirements.

f.

The roads and streets in any noncommercial or nonindustrial area shall have sufficient right-of-way width for proper utility and drainage easements or 60 feet whichever is greater with a cul-de-sac diameter of not less than 70 feet. Rights-of-way in any commercial or industrial development shall be not less than 60 feet with a cul-de-sac diameter of not less than 150 feet.

g.

All noncommercial and nonindustrial streets shall have "roll-back" curb and gutter with a distance of not less than 24 feet back of curb to back of curb. However, if every lot of a residential subdivision contains a minimum of three acres, the developer shall not be required to install curb and gutter, provided that the developer, prior to the commencement of construction provides the zoning administrator with a copy of the recorded plat of said subdivision which shall contain a restrictive covenant, in addition to any other covenants, providing that said lots may not be re-subdivided into smaller lots and an affidavit that upon the conveyance of a lot to a third party, the deed shall specifically contain therein the provision that said lot cannot be re-subdivided into smaller lots not withstanding anything contained herein to the contrary. Vertical face curbs may be required if in the opinion of the zoning administrator the such curbs are determined to be necessary in order to provide proper drainage control.

h.

All commercial, industrial, and mining streets shall have six inch by 24-inch vertical face curbs with a distance of not less than 30 feet "back of curb to back of curb."

i.

The developer shall, upon completion of the required improvements, cause to be prepared a set of "as-built" drawings of all site improvements and a deed of dedication to the county with a proper legal description, providing for dedication to and acceptance by the county. Upon acceptance of said road or street, the same shall be open to the general public at all times subject only to any restrictions placed upon it by the county. The developer shall warrant the road or street for a period of one year after acceptance.

(4)

Storm drainage facilities.

a.

Prior to final project approval a registered professional engineer, architect, or landscape architect currently registered in the state shall design and provide documentation that the proposed stormwater drainage improvements indicated on the site development plan are adequate and will not adversely impact downstream property owners. Said documentation shall include, but not be limited to, stormwater pipe design, calculations for hydraulic design review, calculations to show adequacy of any receiving ditches and detention ponds including effects of concentrated discharge, and engineer's certification to the adequacy of the stormwater runoff system.

b.

If a public stormwater drainage sewer system exists in the area, then the zoning administrator shall require that the project's underground stormwater drainage system be connected to the existing area public system. Such connection shall be indicated on the site development plan. The cost or expansion shall be the responsibility of the developer.

c.

If a public stormwater drainage sewer system does not exist in the area, then adequate surface and/or underground drainage facilities, as designed and documented by an licensed engineer or surveyor, shall be included in the site development plan and so indicated on the plat.

1.

Commercial and residential site development plans shall include stormwater management facilities which limits surface water discharge to pre-development rates for all frequencies from the two year through the 100-year storm events. Surrounding the ten foot maintenance access zone that encircles the actual water storage area, both retention and detention ponds with a maximum designed depth of four feet or greater shall have a six-foot-high security fence attached, not more than five feet on center, to the top of a concrete curb six inches wide and 24 inches deep and shall include a locked a ten foot access gate. The owner/developer shall take precautionary measures to deter children from going near such stormwater ponds. "KEEP OUT" and other warning signs shall be posted.

2.

In all cases site development plans shall include adequate stormwater management facilities which are designed and constructed to avoid any adverse impact on downstream property owners including, without limitation, recorded downstream drainage easements dedicated to the county.

d.

Where a proposed development is traversed by a watercourse, drainageway, channel, or stream, there shall be provided a minimum ten feet of stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way along each side of the channel or course for the purpose of widening, deepening, relocating, improving or protecting such drainage easement. Open drainage ditches shall have no greater than 1:4 side slopes and fall entirely within the easement. Proposed ditches within a development shall be maintained and protected by the adjoining individual lot owners, unless shown otherwise. Notice of same shall be included on the recorded plat of the development and on each individual deed of conveyance.

e.

All underground drainage systems shall utilize drop inlets and/or catchbasins constructed to GDOT standards, unless a hydrology study sealed by a professional engineer, architect, or landscape architect currently registered in the state and approved by the county indicates the conditions require a different drainage structure. Spillways are prohibited within any right-of-way. All structures not conforming to GDOT standards must be designed by a registered professional engineer, architect, or landscape architect currently registered in the state and must be approved by the county.

f.

Street grades shall be such that drainage flows away from intersecting streets. The right-of-way of each intersecting street shall have low points constructed at a minimum of 12 feet from the edge of the paving and a minimum of six inches below the edge of the pavement.

g.

Location of a 100-year floodplain, if any, shall be delineated on the development site plan. FEMA procedures shall be followed in arriving at floodplain determinations and chapter 16, article II of this Code complied with. Where encroachment is proposed, an engineer's certificate for floodplains shall be provided.

(Ord. of 12-7-2004, art. VI, § 6.8)