O-2017-4232 - 3/23/2017 I ORDINANCE NO. 0-2017-4232
2 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 36, CODE OF ORDINANCES
3 (2010 EDITION), CITY OF ROUND ROCK, TEXAS, BY ADDING NEW
4 DEFINITIONS; AMENDING SECTION 36-107 AND SECTION 36-119;
5 AND BY ADDING NEW SECTION 36-128 REGARDING
6 CONNECTIVITY; AND PROVIDING FOR A SAVINGS CLAUSE AND
7 REPEALING CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS.
8
9 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK,
10 TEXAS:
11 I.
12 That Chapter 36, Section 36-6, Code of Ordinances (2010 Edition), City of Round
13 Rock, Texas, is hereby amended as follows, with the new definitions set forth below
14 being appropriately inserted alphabetically:
15 Sec. 36-6. Definitions.
16
17 Connectivity index shall mean a tool used to quantify how well a given transportation network
18 connects destinations as measured by a ratio of links to nodes.
19
20 Link shall mean any portion of a street defined by a node at each end or at one end.
21
22 Node shall mean the terminus of a street or the intersection of two or more streets.
23
24
25 II.
26 That Chapter 36, Section 36-107(g), Code of Ordinances (2010 Edition), City of
27 Round Rock, Texas, is hereby amended to read as follows:
28 Sec. 36-107. Streets.
29
30 (g) Culs-de-sac.
31
32 (1) Local streets may terminate in a cul-de-sac. Collectors and arterial streets may not
33 terminate in a cul-de-sac.
34
35 (2) Except as provided herein, the maximum length of a cul-de-sac street shall be 759-600
36 feet, measured from the centerline of the nearest intersecting outlet street to the
37 centerpoint of the turnaround; except that a longer length may be allowed upon a
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1 recommendation by the fire department and if the planning and zoning commission
2 determines any of the following:
3
4 a. That no secondary access can be reasonably provided to the portion of the
5 subdivision which is to be served by the cul-de-sac;
6 b. That limited access to the subdivision is due to a topographical condition on the
7 property or a particular physical surrounding; or
8 C. That the cul-de-sac is temporary and the street is planned to extend to the
9 adjacent property.
10
11
12 III.
13 That Chapter 36, Section 36-119, Code of Ordinances (2010 Edition), City of
14 Round Rock, Texas, is hereby amended to read as follows:
15 Sec. 36-119. Blocks.
16
17 (a) Block configuration. The configuration of blocks shall promote convenient and safe traffic and
18 pedestrian circulation throughout the subdivision-create aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods,
19 foster a desirable living environment and provide fire and police access to ensure public safety.
20
21 (b) Restriction. Blocks of single family, two-family or single-lot townhouse lots shall not contain more
22 than two tiers of lots.
23
24 (c) Block length.
25 safety-Residential blocks within new residential subdivisions shall meet the following standards:
26
27 (1) The block length shall not exceed 1,000 feet without approval of the Planning and Zoning
28 Commission. The city encourages block lengths to be limited to 600 feet, but the length
29 may be varied according to circulation, topography, and provisions of the General Plan.
30 (2) If the Planning and Zoning Commission approves a block length that exceeds 1,000 feet,
31 a pedestrian access easement, greenbelt, or similar interrupting feature shall be provided
32 within 100 feet of the mid-point of the block.
33
34
2
I IV.
2 That Chapter 36, Code of Ordinances (2010 Edition), City of Round Rock, Texas,
3 is hereby amended by adding a new Section 36-128, which shall read as follows:
4 Sec. 36-128. Connectivity.
5
6 (a) With the submittal of a preliminary plat for a new single family or two family subdivision, a
7 connectivity index shall be included and calculated for the road network in the subdivision. The
8 roadway connectivity index shall be a minimum of 1.35 however additional pedestrian links shall
9 be provided to increase the overall connectivity index to a minimum of 1.40. Subdivisions with a
10 roadway connectivity index of 1.40 or greater shall not be required to provide additional
11 pedestrian links.
12
13 (b) The connectivity index shall be calculated by dividing the total number of links by the total number
14 of nodes in the proposed subdivision.
15
16 (1) Arterial streets shall not be included in the calculation of the connectivity index except
17 when it is necessary to travel along an arterial street to reach any two points in the
18 subdivision.
19 (2) Stub streets that will eventually connect the subdivision to a future subdivision or arterial
20 or collector street shall not be counted as a node. The segment of the stub street shall
21 count as a link.
22 (3) Alleys shall not be counted as a link, and locations where an alley intersects with a street
23 shall not be counted as a node.
24 (4) Any location where a street name changes (as approved by the zoning administrator)
25 shall be considered a node.
26 (5) Any location where a street T-intersects with another street of any classification shall be
27 considered a node.
28 (6) Any curve or bend of a street that exceeds 75 degrees shall receive credit as a node.
29 (7) Any curve or bend of a street that does not exceed 75 degrees shall not be considered a
30 node.
31 (8) Links on existing adjacent local streets that are not part of the proposed subdivision shall
32 not be included in the connectivity index calculation if those streets are proposed as the
33 only street connections that will be active at the time of the proposed subdivision's
34 approval.
35
36 (c) Subdivisions shall have a minimum number of connections to public roads and a minimum
37 number of stub streets where necessary to connect to future subdivisions on adjacent tracts of
38 land as follows:
39
3
1 (1) Less than 75 lots: one (1) connection to a public road and one (1) stub street;
2 (2) For 75 lots up to 150 lots: two (2) connections to a public road and one (1) stub street;
3 (3) For 151 lots up to 300 lots: three (3) connections to a public road and two (2) stub
4 streets;
5 (4) For 301 lots up to 400 lots: four (4) connections to a public road and three (3) stub
6 streets;
7 (5) For 401 lots up to 500 lots: five (5) connections to a public road and four(4) stub streets;
8 (6) For 501 lots up to 800 lots; six (6) connections to a public road and five (5) stub streets;
9
10 (7) For 801 lots and more; one (1) additional connection to a public road and one (1)
11 additional stub street for each additional 200 lots.
12 (8) One (1) additional stub street may substitute for one (1) public road connection
13 requirement.
14
15 (d) A subdivision may have a roadway connectivity index of less than 1.35, provide fewer
16 connections to public roads or provide fewer stub streets than required by the above where
17 specific features or constraints of the land being subdivided make strict compliance impossible or
18 impractical. Such features include the following:
19
20 (1) Natural features such as bodies of water, severe elevation changes, karst features, or
21 monarch trees;
22 (2) Important cultural or archeological features such as historic landmarks or burial grounds;
23 (3) Incompatible land uses adjacent to the proposed subdivision;
24 (4) Adiacent subdivisions which do not provide stub streets or other opportunities to connect
25 to the proposed subdivision; and
26 (5) Situations where intersection and driveway separation requirements prevent the ability to
27 provide additional connections to a public road.
28
29 The applicant shall attach to the plat application an explanation of how the connectivity of the
30 proposed subdivision is hindered by the presence of any noted features. The Planning and
31 Zoning Commission shall approve the application if it determines the connectivity of the proposed
32 subdivision cannot meet the requirements of this section due to the site constraints. Alternately,
33 the Planning and Zoning Commission may deny the application if it determines the proposed
34 subdivision's connectivity can be reasonably improved in spite of the presence of said features.
35
4
1
2 V.
3 That Chapter 36, Sections 36-128 — 36-152 Reserved, Code of Ordinances (2010
4 Edition), City of Round Rock, Texas, are hereby amended to read as follows:
5 Secs. 364129-36-152. - Reserved.
6
7
8 VI.
9 A. All ordinances, parts of ordinances, or resolutions in conflict herewith are
10 expressly repealed.
11 B. The invalidity of any section or provision of this ordinance shall not
12 invalidate other sections or provisions thereof.
13 C. The City Council hereby finds and declares that written notice of the date,
14 hour, place and subject of the meeting at which this Ordinance was adopted was posted
15 and that such meeting was open to the public as required by law at all times during
16 which this Ordinance and the subject matter hereof were discussed, considered and
17 formally acted upon, all as required by the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Texas
18 Government Code, as amended. q
19 READ and APPROVED on first reading this the / day of
20 N WI,T-J�Ift- , 2017.
5
k4
1 READ, APPROVED and ADOPTED on second reading this the 7/�J�day of
2 Iyl� 12017.
3
4
5 ALAN MCGRAW, Mayor
6 City of Round Rock, Texas
s ATTEST:
10
11 SARA L. WHITE, City Clerk
12
6