4307.29 - Sidewalk and bikeway requirements.
All subdivisions, site developments or sections thereof which, shall have installed in them sidewalks and bikeway facilities as specified in the Bicentennial Bikeways Plan to serve each lot or parcel therein. Such sidewalks and bikeway facilities shall be installed by the property owners abutting the street rights-of-way within the development and along the existing streets fronting the development, except as provided for in subsections (E), (F), (G) and (H) below, and they shall be constructed according to the requirements herein.
(A) Sidewalks and bikeways shall have a hard, improved surface constructed of materials and to standards established by the director of public service and/or their designee depending on type of street construction, anticipated permanence of sidewalk, and land uses being served. Such specifications shall be available for inspection in the department of public service offices.
(B) Sidewalks and bikeways shall be located in the right-of-way of the street or as close to the right-of-way line as possible, and shall extend across the entire dimension of each lot or parcel side adjacent to a public street.
(C) All sidewalks and bikeways required by this chapter shall be completed upon the occurrence of any one of the following conditions:
(1) Prior to final inspection by the department of the building, structure, or other improvement on the lot or parcel that the sidewalk serves.
(2) In the case of vacant lots or parcels, whenever 75 percent of the lots or parcels located on a given side of a dedicated street between two consecutive intersecting streets (a block) have been serviced with a final inspection by the department.
(3) Not later than the second anniversary after the date of acceptance of the improved streets by the city.
(D) Bikeways shall be located, configured and completed according to the Bicentennial Bikeways Plan and include separate shared-use paths, bike lanes and signed and marked shared bike routes.
(E) Notwithstanding the provisions stated earlier where a subdivision includes a dedicated street to provide access from an existing street to the subdivision, and such dedicated street bisects property and thereby creates parcels which are not a part of the subdivision but are adjacent to the dedicated street, then it shall be the responsibility of the developer or subdivider to install sidewalks and bikeway facilities within the dedicated street right-of-way or easement whenever sidewalks and bikeway facilities are required in the subdivision itself. Such sidewalks and bikeway facilities shall be installed along the dedicated street right-of-way or easement from the existing street to the first lots or parcels in the subdivision, and shall be completed prior to acceptance of the improved street by the city.
(F) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, where the zoning code permits placement of continuous sidewalks in common space rather than in the public right-of-way, then the placement provisions of the zoning code shall govern.
(G) Sidewalk or Bikeway Fee in Lieu of Construction. It is the desire of the city to have required sidewalks and bike facilities built at the time of and congruent with development. However, there may be circumstances regarding safety, economic waste and geographical features that preclude such construction. The Director of Public Service has the authority to approve construction exemptions and collect a fee in lieu of as set out in properly promulgated rules and regulations. In no instance will a private or public entity not build or pay a fee in lieu of sidewalk or bike facility construction.
(H) Off-Premises Public Curb Ramp Construction. The developer ("First Developer") or public agency building off-premises public curb ramps to maintain ADA compliance of the public right-of-way as a result of the developer's development or construction activity shall be eligible to be reimbursed for the reasonable design, construction and bonding cost to build said public off-premises curb ramps and other necessary accommodations including pedestrian pushbuttons. Said eligibility shall expire ten years following final acceptance of the off-premises public curb ramp construction. The First Developer or public agency shall request from the Director of Public Service reimbursement at the time of his or her site plan approval. The First Developer or public agency shall then provide within a reasonable time following construction of the off-premises curb ramps and other necessary accommodations including pedestrian pushbuttons documentation acceptable to the City of Columbus of actual reasonable design, construction and bonding costs to build the off-premises curb ramps and other necessary accommodations including pedestrian pushbuttons. The developer of property abutting constructed off-premises public curb ramp and other necessary accommodations including pedestrian pushbuttons ("Second Developer") shall reimburse the First Developer or public agency the documented reasonable design, construction and bonding cost as a condition of and at the time of the developer's site plan approval if said site plan is approved within ten years of final acceptance of the off-premises curb ramp construction. The First Developer shall also reimburse the City of Columbus for reasonable administrative costs associated with reviewing, approving and tracking the reimbursement. Said costs shall be determined by the Director of Public Service or designee.
(Ord. No. 0455-2010, § 121, 4-5-2010; Ord. No. 1713-2010, § 2, 12-13-2010; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021)