10.426 Street Circulation Design and Connectivity

10.426 Street Circulation Design and Connectivity.

These standards are intended to assure that development will ultimately result in complete blocks bound by a network of public streets, and/or private streets constructed to City Standards open to public use, and/or interior access roads open to public use.

(1) As it applies to this section, an Interior Access Road shall mean the following:

A public access easement on private property which facilitates through public vehicular and pedestrian access. The Interior Access Road public easement shall, at a minimum, consist of the following improvement:

(a) A two-way vehicular access drive aisle having minimum aisle width of twenty (20) feet bounded with raised curb. The access drive shall remain clear and unencumbered from any parking stall taking direct vehicular access from the drive aisle. However, the drive aisle may intersect with other drive aisles within a parking lot.

(b) The vehicular access drive shall be bound at minimum on one side, but preferably both sides, with a pedestrian pathway running parallel to the access drive, consisting of concrete, patterned concrete or brick pavers. The pedestrian pathway may be either attached or detached from the curb and have a minimum width of five (5) feet. Where the pedestrian path crosses intersecting vehicular drive aisles, the pathway paving material shall extend across such areas to demarcate the pedestrian crossing.

(2) Street Arrangement Suitability. The approving authority shall approve or disapprove street arrangement. In determining the suitability of the proposed street arrangement, the approving authority shall take into consideration:

(a) Adopted neighborhood circulation plans where provided; and

(b) Safe, logical and convenient access to adjoining property consistent with existing and planned land uses; and

(d) Compatibility with existing natural features such as topography and trees; and

(e) City or state access management standards applicable to the site.

(a) Block layouts shall substantially conform to adopted neighborhood circulation plans for the project area if applicable. Street arrangement and location may depart from the adopted plan if the project will result in a comparable level of overall connectivity. Projects that depart from the neighborhood circulation plan shall conform to planned higher order streets adopted in the City of Medford Transportation System Plan.

(b) Proposed streets, alleys and accessways shall connect to other streets within a development and to existing and planned streets outside the development, when not precluded by factors in Section 10.426(4)(b) below. When a development proposes a cul-de-sac, minimum access easement or flag lot to address such factors, the provisions of Section 10.450 apply.

(c) Proposed streets or street extensions shall be located to provide direct access to existing or planned transit stops and other neighborhood activity centers such as schools, office parks, shopping areas, and parks.

(d) Streets shall be constructed or extended in projections that maintain their function, provide accessibility, and continue an orderly pattern of streets and blocks.

(a) Block lengths and block perimeter lengths shall not exceed the following dimensions as measured from centerline to centerline of through intersecting streets, except as provided in Subsections 10.426(4)(b).

Table 10.426-1. Maximum Block Length and Perimeter Length
Zone or District	Block Length	Block Perimeter Length
i. Residential Zones	660’	2,100’
ii. Central Business Overlay District	600’	1,800’
iii. Transit Oriented Districts	600’	1,800’
iv. Neighborhood, Community, and Heavy Commercial Zones; and Service Commercial-Professional Office Zones	720’	2,880’
v. Regional Commercial and Industrial Zones	940’	3,760’

(b) The approving authority may find that proposed blocks that exceed the maximum block and/or perimeter standards are acceptable when it is demonstrated by the findings that one or more of the constraints, conditions or uses listed below exists on, or adjacent to the site:

(i) Topographic constraints, including presence of slopes of 10% or more located within the boundary of a block area that would be required by subsection 10.426(4)(a),

(ii) Environmental constraints including the presence of a wetland or other body of water,

(iii) The area needed for a proposed Large Industrial Site, as identified and defined in the Medford Comprehensive Plan Economic Element, requires a block larger than provided by section 10.426(4)(a)(v) above. In such circumstances, the maximum block length for such a Large Industrial Site shall not exceed 1,150 feet, or a maximum perimeter block length of 4,600 feet,

(iv) Proximity to state highways, interstate freeways, railroads, airports, significant unbuildable areas or similar barriers that make street extensions in one or more directions impractical,

(v) The subject site is in SFR-2 zoning district,

(vi) Future development on adjoining property or reserve acreage can feasibly satisfy the block or perimeter standards,

(vii) The proposed use is a public or private school, college or other large institution,

(viii) The proposed use is a public or private convention center, community center or arena,

(ix) The proposed use is a public community service facility, essential public utility, a public or private park, or other outdoor recreational facility.

(x) When strict compliance with other provisions of the Medford Land Development Code produce conflict with provisions in this section.

(c) Block lengths are permitted to exceed the maximum by up to 20% where the maximum block or perimeter standards would require one or more additional street connections in order to comply with both the block length or perimeter standards while satisfying the street and block layout requirements of 10.426(2) or (3) or (5).

(d) When block perimeters exceed the standards in accordance with the 10.426(4)(b) above, or due to City or State access management plans, the land division plat or site plan shall provide blocks divided by one or more public accessways, in conformance with Sections 10.464 through 10.466.

(5) Minimum Distance Between Intersections. Streets intersecting other streets shall be directly opposite each other, or offset by at least 200 feet, except when the approving authority finds that utilizing an offset of less than 200 feet is necessary to economically develop the property with the use for which it is zoned, or an existing offset of less than 200 feet is not practical to correct.