§ 16-35.012. Sidewalks.

Public sidewalks shall be located along all public streets and shall have minimum widths as specified herein. Sidewalks shall consist of two zones: A street furniture and tree planting zone and a clear zone. The following regulations shall apply to all public sidewalks:

1.

Street furniture and tree planting zone requirements. The street furniture and tree planting zone shall have a minimum width of five feet. Said zone shall be located immediately adjacent to the curb and shall be continuous. Said zone shall meet the tree planting requirements of subsection 16-35.012(3). In addition to the required planting of trees, this zone may also be used for the placement of street furniture including utility poles, waste receptacles, fire hydrants, traffic signs, newspaper vending boxes, bus shelters, bicycle racks and similar elements in a manner that does not obstruct pedestrian access or motorist visibility and as approved by the director of the bureau of planning.

2.

Clear zone requirements. Said zone shall be located immediately contiguous to the street furniture and tree planting zone and shall be continuous. Said zone shall be hardscape, and shall be unobstructed for a minimum height of eight feet and for a minimum width as specified below, by any permanent or nonpermanent element except as authorized in subsection 16-35.014(9).

a.

Along streets which function as arterial or collector streets: Minimum width of ten feet.

b.

Along streets which function as local streets: Minimum width of six feet.

3.

Street tree planting requirements. Street trees are required and shall be planted in the ground a maximum of 40 feet on center within the street furniture and tree planting zone and spaced equal distance between street lights. All newly planted trees shall be a minimum of three inches in caliper measured 36 inches above ground, shall be a minimum of 12 feet in height, shall have a minimum mature height of 40 feet, and shall be limbed up to a minimum height of seven feet. Trees shall have a minimum planting area of 32 square feet. All plantings, planting replacement and planting removal shall be approved by the city arborist. The area between required plantings shall either be planted with evergreen ground cover such as mondo grass or liriope spicata or shall be paved as approved by the director of planning.

4.

Tree grates. Tree grates are not required where all sidewalk width requirements are met. Where tree grates are required or otherwise installed, they shall be a minimum of four feet by eight feet, shall be a type specified by the director of planning in accordance with uniform design standards utilized by the director for placement of such objects in the public right-of-way, and shall be placed within the street furniture and tree planting zone. Where tree grates are not required or otherwise installed, tree planting areas shall be permitted to be planted with evergreen ground cover such as mondo grass or liriope spicata.

5.

Paving. All paving within the street furniture and tree planting zone shall be a type specified by the director of planning in accordance with uniform design standards utilized by the director for placement of such objects in the public right-of-way.

6.

Nothing shall be erected, placed, planted or allowed to grow in such a manner as to impede visibility within visibility triangles at street intersections between the heights of two and one-half feet and eight feet above grade. See subsection 16-28.008(9), Visibility at intersections.

7.

No awning or canopy shall encroach beyond the clear zone.

8.

Where property within this district abuts an R-1 through R-G, PD-H or MR district without an intervening street, the sidewalk area within 20 feet of such districts shall taper as necessary to provide a smooth transition to the existing R-1 through R-G, PD-H or MR districts sidewalk. In the event that the abutting R-1 through R-G, PD-H or MR district has no existing sidewalk, the sidewalk shall taper to a width of six feet.

9.

Decorative pedestrian lights, where installed, shall be placed a maximum of 40 feet on center and spaced equal distance between required trees along all streets. Where installed, said lights shall be located within either the street furniture and tree planting zone or the supplemental zone. All said lights shall be Atlanta Type "C" as approved by the planning bureau.

10.

Every commercially reasonable effort shall be made to place utilities underground or to the rear of structures to allow for unobstructed use of sidewalks.

11.

Trash receptacles or similar elements, where installed, shall be a type specified by the director of planning in accordance with uniform design standards utilized by the director for placement of such objects in the public right-of-way and shall be placed within the street furniture and tree planting zone.

(Ord. No. 2002-39, § 1, 5-28-02)