MEMORANDUM
TO: Timothy Navarre, Assembly President
Members, Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly
THRU: Dale Bagley, Mayor
THRU: Colette Thompson, Borough Attorney
FROM: Holly B. Montague, Assistant Borough Attorney
CC: Road Service Area Board
DATE: May 23, 2002
SUBJECT: Ordinance 2002-13
Historical summary of Road Construction Standards amendments
At the May 7, 2002, assembly meeting in Seward, there were questions at lands committee regarding the revisions that had been made in the past to KPB 14.06 codifying the road construction standards. As discussed in the other memo dated April 25, 2002, Ordinance 2002-13 largely revises road category provisions. Following is a summary of the primary substantive revisions to the standards over the past sixteen years.
Ordinance 86-79.
KPB 14.06 is adopted by Ordinance 86-79 establishing road construction standards. Roads which have been certified for maintenance prior to this date are "grandfathered" regardless of whether the standards adopted in 1986 were met.
Ordinance 97-18.
In 1997, Article III of the road standards was amended to provide for maximum widths, shoulder to shoulder. Additionally, the minimum width for Category I was raised from 18 to 20 feet, Category II from 20 to 22 feet, Category III 24 to 26 feet.
Article IV of the standards regarding structures and bridges was amended to require road service area board approval prior to construction of the bridge design.
The typical section requirements were updated to require six-inch depths of subbase grading B for Category III and IV roads (formerly a four-inch depth had been required for Category IV and none for Category III).
Article V(A) of the standards was amended to require roads be constructed on dedicated right-of-way on the centerline and that minimum right-of-way width be 50 to 60 feet allowing for utilities to be installed in the outer edges of ditches. Extraction of material between the ditch lines for any purpose other than excavation to subgrade was prohibited.
Article V(B) was added to allow an alternate design to the typical section if prepared and sealed by a licensed professional engineer and approved by the road service area board prior to construction.
Article V(C) was added to allow for an alternate typical section which requires three road service area staff inspections and a roll test before final acceptance of the road for borough maintenance.
A new Article VI was added addressing vertical alignment, horizontal alignment, turnarounds, and intersections. These standards address items such as grade requirements, curve radius requirements, site distance, warning signs, and turnaround areas.
In Article VIII, requirements regarding the typical section materials were clarified.
In Article XI, the road service area board was authorized to establish a fee schedule to recover costs related to road standard implementation or inspection.
Ordinance 98-08.
KPB 14.06.020 was amended to require roads to meet the subdivision design standards in effect at the time of application for maintenance rather than the design standards in effect at the time of subdivision approval.
KPB 14.06.050 was amended to require a written recommendation to the road service area board prior to the board's certification of a road for maintenance. A further amendment clarified that the level of maintenance is subject to available funding.
Article I of the standards was amended to require roads be accepted for maintenance by September 1 of each year. A post-construction inspection fee and process was established for roads which were not subject to a maintenance application prior to construction.
A new Article IX was added addressing paving specifications.
A new Article X addressing signs was added.
Ordinance 98-28.
This odinance adopted decertification procedures. The decertification procedures were later amended by Ordinance 2000-39 and 2001-33.
Ordinance 99-12.
Ordinance 99-12 amended the time frame for annual certification in Article I to between June 1 and by October 15 of each year.
Additionally, Article VI(B) of the road construction standards was revised to create a clear zone free of hazardous objects.
Ordinance 2000-04.
Article I clarified that inspection for maintenance certification may include test holes, engineering analysis of road geometry, drainage, general adequacy for anticipated traffic, and an as-built survey.
Article II was revised to eliminate the use of the word "residential" in defining the lots served.
Article IV regarding structures and bridges was revised to allow bridge plans to be approved by the board prior to acceptance for maintenance, rather than prior to construction.
Article V was amended to incorporate the requirement that borough roads certified for maintenance be contiguous with the existing maintenance system which had formerly been the requirement of an assembly resolution. Additionally, the construction standards were amended to conform the cul-de-sac width to the borough platting code.
Article V(D) was adopted to allow exceptions to the standards upon road service area board approval if specific criteria are met.
Article VII of the standards regarding drainage and culvert material was amended to allow the board the option of requiring engineering analysis for locations susceptible to flooding.
Ordinance 2001-06.
Ordinance 2001-06 incorporated the standards as part of the code rather than as an appendix to KPB 14.06.