§ 1906. US 301 corridor road and utility access.

(a)

Intent and purpose of this section.

(1)

The intent of this section is to:

a.

Create a continuous service road serving all properties that are adjacent to (or otherwise would obtain their access from) US 301 in order to provide vehicular access for all such properties adjacent to or served by this limited access state highway;

b.

Provide vehicular access to properties that are to the rear of properties adjacent to US 301 and that have no alternate access from a public street;

c.

Provide for the placement of utilities serving properties that provide or are provided access to US 301; and

d.

Provide signage and landscaping enhancements that encourage economic development of the area.

(2)

The purpose of this section is to protect the public health, safety and welfare by:

a.

Providing for equal economic development opportunities for all properties within the US 301 corridor;

b.

Providing for safe vehicular movements between US 301 and adjacent properties;

c.

Protecting the operational efficiency and safety of US 301 traffic, in compliance with access restrictions imposed by the Georgia Department of Transportation;

d.

Providing for uniformity and equal access to public and private utilities serving the area and each property;

e.

Allowing special signage to be placed on each property abutting US 301 for enhanced visibility of businesses and development from the highway; and

f.

Providing for the aesthetic quality of the US 301 corridor through the provision of landscaping to a higher standard than that required of other properties in the IGO district.

(b)

Service road and easements required.

(1)

For any property that has frontage on US 301, as a condition of issuance of a development or building permit, property owners shall provide a publicly dedicated service road and grant utility easements and frontage landscape strips across their property, as described in this section, to each abutting property that also has frontage on US 301 and to any other abutting property that has no access from a public street.

(2)

The service road shall permit vehicular access between abutting properties and to driveway connections with US 301 located in accordance with the provisions of this article, planned road improvements contained in the I-16/US 301 Redevelopment Plan, and the standards imposed by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

(3)

Each required utility easement shall be granted as a permanent, fully-assignable easement to Bulloch County, which may be assigned by Bulloch County for the placement of public and private utilities such as, but not limited to, water, sewer, telephone, cable, natural gas and electrical service.

(c)

Design and improvement standards.

(1)

Any service road and its associated utility easements and landscaping strips, as required by section 1906(b)(1), collectively shall be no less than 80 feet in width.

(2)

The service road shall occupy a publicly dedicated right-of-way of no less than 40 feet in width, and shall be improved with a roadway no less than 28 feet in width (including raised curbs and a 24-foot wide travelway) in order to accommodate two-way vehicular traffic to and from the adjoining properties. The paved travelway and curbs shall be centered within the right-of-way. (See figure 19-1, below.)

(3)

A service road and utility easements running through a property that has frontage on US 301 to a property located to the rear that has no public street access, shall be located by the county in consultation with the property owners involved.

(4)

The service road travelway shall be paved and constructed to the public road cross-sectional standards contained in the Bulloch County Subdivision Regulations under section 7.1, paragraphs (a) through (j) or as most recently amended. Curbing shall be raised concrete curb and gutters and provided in accordance with section 6.2.5 of the Bulloch County Subdivision Regulations. The roadway shall be provided with a six-foot wide shoulder behind each curb. After the service road has been inspected and accepted by Bulloch County, the owner(s) shall convey fee simple title to the service road right-of-way to Bulloch County.

(5)

A 20-foot wide frontage landscape strip shall be provided along each side of the service road. See section 1911 for landscaping requirements in frontage landscape strips in general, and specifically section 1911(c)(5) relating to the placement of frontage trees along the US 301 right-of-way.

(6)

Utility easements shall be granted as follows:

a.

A 15-foot wide utility easement shall be located within the required 20-foot wide frontage landscape strip between the service road right-of-way and the right-of-way of US 301, parallel and adjacent to the service road right-of-way. (See Figure 19-1, below)

b.

In all other cases, a 20-foot wide utility easement shall be located within the required 20-foot wide frontage landscape strip parallel and adjacent to the service road right-of-way, extending into the property to be developed.

(7)

A frontage sign may be placed within the landscape strip adjacent to the US 301 right-of-way in accordance with section 1907(b)(2).

(8)

Driveways connecting development on a property to the service road shall be no more than 24 feet wide for two-way traffic and shall be no less than 100 feet from any other two-way or one-way driveway (measured centerline-to-centerline). One-way paired driveways shall be no more than 12 feet wide and shall be separated by at least 50 feet (measured centerline-to-centerline).

(9)

Construction of the service road, extension of utilities and placement of landscaping material shall be done in conjunction with the development or construction approved on the property, and their completion shall be required prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy for such development or construction.

(d)

Modifications and relief.

(1)

Prior to its construction, the county manager or their designee shall have the power and authority to determine or modify the location, layout, design or improvement of a service road or utility easement on a property, in order to preserve or enhance the integrity, character or safety of traffic operations; its aesthetic characteristics; or the installation of public or private utilities within or crossing the property.

(2)

For service roads that terminate at the right-of-way of I-16, improvements shall be modified to provide vehicular access only as needed to serve development on the property and to serve abutting properties that otherwise have no public street access.

(Amend. of 9-2-14)