HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9829 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9829
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council December 15, 2015
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*a SUBJECT: SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE AMENDMENT ADDRESSING
?CL CONNECTIVITY
The January 12, 2016, City Council agenda will contain an M&C to approve a
Subdivision Ordinance amendment that addresses connectivity for subdivisions. The
goals of connectivity include:
• Reduced traffic congestion
• Reduced emergency response times and costs
• Increased mobility and route choices
• Improved infrastructure network and water quality
• Safer access for pedestrians and bicyclists
• Healthier community
On October 22, 2014, the City Plan Commission approved the Copper Creek preliminary
plat for 960 single-family lots with only two constructed points of access, as allowed by
the Subdivision Ordinance. The commission expressed concern about the traffic and
safety impacts of having only two ways in or out of large subdivisions, and asked staff to
investigate methods to improve connectivity. Staff from Planning & Development and
Transportation & Public Works researched best practices and ordinances in comparable
cities.
The proposed text amendment would do the following:
• Require connectivity to the external roadway network based on the traffic
management plan and development phasing for the preliminary plat.
• Require two constructed points of access, rather than one, for multifamily
development with 100 or more dwelling units.
• Provide an objective measure for internal connectivity, with which the vast
majority of subdivisions already comply (link-to-node ratio).
• Allow collector streets to be more than 1/2 mile in length under certain conditions.
• Specify a 15-foot width for mid-block pedestrian/bicycle access ways used in lieu
of 50-foot street connections.
• Add "UR" Urban Residential zoning to the section on block perimeter and block
length for mixed-use and central business district zoning.
• Reduce the minimum street width for industrial streets from 100 to 80 feet.
Staff has briefed the Development Advisory Committee, the Greater Fort Worth
Association of Realtors, the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association, the Real Estate
Council of Greater Fort Worth, and the Blue Zones Project Built Environment Committee.
No objections have been received to date. Should you have any questions, please
contact Randle Harwood, Planning and Development Director, at 817-392-6101.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS