(1) Designation of fire lanes. The Chief of the Fire Department and the Chief’s designees are hereby authorized to designate as fire access lanes any easement, public right-of-way, alley or portion of a designated vehicle access way or parking lot when the same is necessary to provide adequate access for firefighting vehicles to reach any improved property when the same are remote from public streets, fire hydrants, fire department water connections or fire protection systems when the lack of proximity would constitute a fire hazard or encumber the fire department’s ability to find immediate access to such improved property. Such designated fire access lanes shall consist of an all-weather driving surface of not less than twenty (20) feet of unobstructed width and with adequate roadway turning radius for any dead-end right-of-way capable of supporting the imposed load of fire apparatus and having a minimum head clearance of thirteen (13) feet six (6) inches. In the event that the fire access lane does not have both ingress and egress to an adjacent public street, it shall be provided with a turn-around having a circle of not less than eighty-five (85) feet in diameter. Dead-end streets with less than one hundred fifty (150) feet in length will not be required to have the turnaround provided.

(2) Designated fire apparatus access lanes shall be designated by street signs approved by the Fire Department, which signs shall bear the legend “Fire Lane - No Parking,” or other appropriate notice. Such signs shall be installed not more than fifty (50) feet apart. Designated fire lanes may consist either of dedicated public rights-of-way, rights-of-way established by prescriptive use or rights-of-way established pursuant to and with the written approval of property owners and rights-of-way as required by the Uniform Fire Code.

(3) It shall be unlawful for any motor vehicle to be left unattended or parked within the area of a designated fire lane. Any such vehicle is hereby declared to be a nuisance and may be removed at the direction of any police officer or fire officer. Unlawful parking shall be punished under this Section in the same manner as other parking violations.