§ 36-515. Access for fire apparatus.

Access roadways for fire apparatus shall be designed and adhere to the following regulations:

(1)

Means of access for fire department apparatus shall consist of fire lanes, private or public streets, commercial driveways, alleys, parking lot lanes, or a combination thereof.

(2)

Means of access for fire department apparatus shall be constructed of a hard, all-weather surface, concrete or asphalt, adequately designed to support the heaviest piece of fire apparatus likely to be operated on the roadway.

(3)

Every cul-de-sac more than 150 feet in length shall be provided at the closed end with a turnaround, having a curb radius of not less than 50 feet.

(4)

Turns or bends in streets shall maintain the minimum surface width for the designated category of street.

(5)

Turns in publicly owned arterial or collector streets shall be constructed with a minimum turn radius of 100 feet to the centerline. Turns in other public or privately owned minor streets shall be constructed with a minimum radius of 25 feet at the inside curb line and a radius of 50 feet at the outside curb line.

(6)

Street surfaces shall not be less than 18 feet wide, provided no parking is allowed; not less than 26 feet wide if parallel parking is allowed on one side; and not less than 30 feet wide if parallel parking is allowed on both sides.

(7)

Fire lanes in commercial or governmental development shall not be less than 20 feet wide, with 18 feet surface minimum.

(8)

Commercial and governmental driveways and alleys shall not be less than 15 feet in surface width. Residential driveways shall not be less than 12 feet in surface width, except in areas of 25 percent grade where ten feet surface width may be used.

(9)

Finished grades of all driveways shall not be greater than 35 percent. The city council approval is required to exceed finished grades of five percent for commercial and 20 percent for residential driveways.

(10)

Fire lanes, driveways and alleys connecting to public or private streets shall be provided with flare curb cuts extending at least two feet beyond each edge of street surface.

(11)

At least 13 feet six inches of nominal height clearance must be provided over the full width of public streets, private streets, fire lanes, commercial and governmental driveways.

(12)

Bridges, when used for access, shall be the same surface width as for fire lanes, public or private streets, driveways, alleys or parking lot lanes, and shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable sections of the building code, using design loading sufficient to carry the imposed loads of the fire apparatus.

(13)

Barriers defined as chains, gates, etc., may be provided at the entrance to residential driveways, provided they are installed according to the requirements of the city and fire district.

(14)

The method of security for residential development is to be as agreed upon by the contractor and the city and shall be commensurate with the item or area needing security.

(Code 1990, ch. 8, § 12(C))