[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Washington 2-11-1987 by Ord. No. 87-2; amended
in its entirety 5-18-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-07. Subsequent amendments
noted where applicable.]
A.
No person shall construct or alter a driveway or lane which shall
enter onto the public roads of the Township without first obtaining
a driveway permit from the Township Engineer. The Township Zoning
Officer shall not issue a zoning permit for the construction or alteration
of any structure which involves the construction or alteration of
a driveway unless he has received an approved driveway application
from the Township Engineer.
B.
Ordinary maintenance or paving of existing driveways not involving
widening or extending existing driveways shall be exempted from the
terms of this chapter.
C.
Entrances to farm fields for the purposes of farming shall be exempt from the terms of this chapter provided that the entrance location provides the minimum sight distance in § 70-4F below.
D.
Separate permits or applications for buildings or structures for
which site plan application has been made and approved by the appropriate
municipal body shall be exempt from the terms and requirements of
this chapter.
A.
Applicants for a driveway permit shall prepare an application on
forms supplied by the Township, with drawings showing a plan, profile
and typical cross section of the proposed driveway.
B.
For a driveway to a single-family dwelling or farm, the drawing may
be prepared by the applicant; for all other driveways, including common
driveways, the drawings shall be prepared by a professional engineer
licensed in the State of New Jersey.
C.
The application for such permit shall include a plot plan or sketch
showing the location of the proposed driveway. The plot plan shall
include the following:
(1)
The name and address of the owner and applicant.
(2)
The Tax Map sheet, block and lot number.
(3)
Property lines and North arrow.
(4)
Setback and location of structures, proposed and existing.
(5)
Curbs and sidewalks, proposed and existing, with construction details,
if applicable.
(6)
Utility installations affecting the driveway.
(7)
Trees and other obstructions within the sight triangles.
(8)
Advisory, directional, regulatory and advertising signs within sight
triangles.
(9)
Location of existing driveways on the lot and adjoining lots; location
of the proposed driveway shall be dimensioned from the nearest utility
pole, and the pole number shall be shown.
(10)
Proposed width of the driveway.
(11)
Intersection angle of the driveway with the road or street.
(12)
Curbline or street-line opening.
(13)
For other than single-family residential, the estimated number of
cars and trucks which will use the driveway each day shall be listed.
(14)
The type of storm drainage to be constructed at the driveway entrance.
(15)
The construction details of the driveway, width, thickness of material
and type of material.
(16)
Plan and profile of the driveway drawn to an appropriate scale. For
a single-family dwelling, the profile only needs to show the first
50 feet of the driveway length. For all other driveways, including
common driveways, the plan and profile shall show the full length
of the driveway and the connections to the individual buildings and
parking areas to be accessed through the driveway.
There shall be submitted with the application the following
escrow amounts and nonrefundable permit fees, payable to the Township
of Washington. Payments for the escrow and nonrefundable permit fees
shall be made with two separate checks:
A.
Residential driveway: $25 permit fee; $400 escrow fee for review
and inspection.
B.
Common and multifamily residential driveway: $25 permit fee; $450
escrow fee for review and inspection.
C.
Commercial and industrial driveway: $25 permit fee; $550 escrow fee
for review and inspection.
D.
The Township can require additional escrow, as determined by the
Finance Department and Township Engineer, to ensure all review and
inspection costs are funded.
A.
Paving, width and slope shall conform to the minimum standards tabulated
below:
|
Table of Design and Construction Standards9
| |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Standard
|
Single-Family Dwelling
|
2 or More Single-Family Dwellings5
|
Multiple-Family Single Building
|
Cluster or Apartment Buildings
|
Commercial or Industrial Buildings
|
|
Width
(feet)
|
10
|
15
|
18
|
24
|
30 (two-way)
24 (one-way)
|
|
Surface
|
—1
|
—2
|
—3
|
—3
|
—4
|
|
Slope
(percent)
|
66
|
66
|
47
|
47
|
48
|
|
NOTES:
| |
|
1
|
Two-inch bituminous concrete surface on four-inch dense-graded
aggregate base for the first 25 feet from the edge of the Township
road.
|
|
2
|
Two-inch bituminous concrete surface on four-inch dense-graded
aggregate base for the first 100 feet from the edge of the Township
road.
|
|
3
|
Two-inch bituminous concrete surface on four-inch bituminous
stabilized base for the entire length.
|
|
4
|
Two-and-one-half-inch bituminous concrete surface on five-inch
bituminous stabilized base and six-inch dense-graded aggregate subbase.
|
|
5
|
No more than four single-family dwellings may share a common driveway. See also Subsection I below.
|
|
6
|
Slope applies to 25 feet from the edge of the road pavement;
maximum slope of 15%.
|
|
7
|
Slope applies to the first 50 feet from the edge of the road
pavement; maximum slope of 12%.
|
|
8
|
Slope applies to the first 25 feet from the edge of the road
pavement; maximum slope of 12%.
|
|
9
|
Construction material shall conform to New Jersey Department
of Transportation Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridges, 1983.
|
B.
Number of driveway openings.
(1)
The maximum number of driveway openings permitted from a commercial
or industrial lot to any one road shall be limited as follows:
|
Length of Lot Frontage
(feet)
|
Permitted Number of Driveway Openings
|
|---|---|
|
150 or less
|
1
|
|
151 or more
|
2
|
(2)
The maximum number of driveway openings permitted from an interior
lot with a detached single-family residential dwelling is as follows:
|
Type of Lot
|
Type of Driveway
|
Permitted Number of Driveway Openings
|
|---|---|---|
|
Lot, interior
|
Dual purpose (ingress and egress)
|
1
|
|
Lot, interior
|
Circular driveway with separate entrance and exits [Where permitted
- see § 70-4A(4) for permitted locations]
|
2
|
(3)
The maximum number of dual purpose driveway openings for a detached
single-family residential dwelling that is situated on a corner lot
is two, as long as no more than one dual purpose driveway opening
is situated on a particular road frontage. The maximum number of driveway
openings on a corner lot can be increased to three if one of the driveways
is a circular driveway where there are separate entrances and exits.
No more than one circular driveway is permitted for each lot with
a detached single-family residential dwelling.
C.
Location. All entrance and exit driveways to a Township road shall
be located to afford maximum safety to traffic on said Township road
and in accordance with the following requirements:
(1)
Driveways shall be so designed as to allow motor vehicles to turn
around on site in order to make it unnecessary to back any motor vehicle
onto the public road.
(2)
Driveways shall be not less than 75 feet from any street intersection.
(3)
Driveways shall be not less than 10 feet from the side or rear yard
lot line as measured along the street right of way and/or property
line. A flared or widen apron within the right of way shall not be
less than five feet from the extended property line.
(4)
A minimum clear distance of 25 feet shall separate any two driveways
(on the same premises or on adjacent lots as measured along the street
right-of-way.
D.
The angle of driveways shall be as follows:
(2)
Commercial and industrial. These driveways shall be designed for
their particular situation, using turning templates to test truck
movements to and from both directions of travel. Flat angles and one-way
drives shall be utilized whenever feasible. Driveway exits for one-way
operation shall be at an angle not less than 30°.
E.
Curbs. Where curbs exist, a full section of the curb shall be entirely
removed, and a depressed curb shall be constructed. Depressed curbs
shall conform to the standards on file with the Township Engineer.
Breaking the existing curb away to the pavement line will not be permitted.
F.
Sight triangles. Sight triangles shall be provided as listed below.
Sight distances shall be measured from a point 42 inches above the
driveway surface and eight feet outside of the edge of the pavement
of the Township road.
|
Allowable Speed on Township Road
(mph)
|
Required Sight Distance
(feet)
|
|---|---|
|
25 or less
|
155
|
|
30
|
200
|
|
35
|
250
|
|
40
|
305
|
|
45
|
360
|
|
50
|
425
|
G.
Erosion control.
(1)
Driveways shall be constructed and maintained in such a manner as
to prevent erosion of soil from them and land adjacent to them. All
disturbed areas not otherwise paved or landscaped shall be topsoiled,
seeded and mulched as soon as practical after construction of the
driveway.
(2)
The owner of any existing driveway which causes problems of soil
or aggregate runoff within the right-of-way of any Township road or
on adjoining property shall, upon written notice from the Township
Engineer, correct the conditions causing said problems within 14 days
of said notification. Failure to make such corrections shall be in
violation of this chapter.
H.
Drainage.
(1)
No driveway shall be designed or constructed to permit surface water
to flow onto the pavement of any Township road, nor shall any existing
drainageway, swale, ditch or pipe be blocked or disturbed by the construction
of any driveway unless provision for relocation or reconstruction
is made in the design. Drainage design shall be subject to the review
and approval of the Township Engineer.
(3)
All driveways constructed within the public right-of-way shall be
constructed in such a manner as not to interfere with the drainage
along the existing pavement or gutter. Under no circumstances shall
the driveway be allowed to extend beyond the edge of the existing
gutter line of a public roadway and create a hump or uneven driving
surface on the pavement or shoulder. In certain circumstances, as
approved by the Township Engineer, the driveway may be constructed
to have a sufficient rise above shoulder level to prevent excess runoff
from the roadway onto adjacent property.
(4)
The construction of a properly sized dish-type gutter will be permitted,
provided that existing gutter flow will not be changed.
(5)
The installation of a suitable-sized reinforced concrete pipe or
equivalent shall be required in the event that the existing flow line
or ditch cannot be crossed with a shallow dish-type gutter. The size
of the pipe shall be subject to the approval of the Township Engineer.
No pipe shall be smaller than 15 inches in diameter.
(6)
The installation of suitable-sized cross drains shall be required
at points along the driveway as deemed necessary by the Township Engineer
in order to prevent the accumulation of large quantities of runoff
water and the effects of soil erosion on the public road or adjoining
property.
I.
Common driveways.
(1)
Up to four single-family dwellings may use a common driveway, subject
to the approval of the municipal agency having jurisdiction over the
subdivision in which the lots which will share the driveway are created.
(2)
A turnaround area with a minimum diameter of 40 feet shall be constructed
at the end of the common driveway for the use of emergency vehicles,
and no parking of any nature shall be permitted on this turnaround.
J.
Inspection.
(1)
The construction of all driveways shall be subject to the inspection
and approval of the Township Engineer. No certificate of occupancy
shall be issued until the Township Engineer notifies the Building
Code Official that the driveway has been installed in accordance with
the approved plan.
(2)
In the event that the construction season is too far along to permit
the placing of the bituminous pavement, a temporary certificate of
occupancy may be issued if the applicant has posted a cash bond or
letter of credit with the Township guaranteeing that the driveway
will be completed within 12 months from the date of this bond. The
amount of the bond shall be established by the Township Engineer.
K.
Waivers. The Township Committee, on good cause shown, may waive any
of the provisions above if the strict enforcement thereof would result
in unnecessary hardship to the applicant.
L.
Violations and penalties.
(1)
Any person or persons, firm or corporation violating any section
of this chapter which results in damage to or obstruction of any public
road, gutter, storm drain or other structure owned by the Township
shall be responsible for all expenses incurred by the Township for
repairing said damage or removing said obstruction, in addition to
the penalties herein provided.
(2)
Any person or persons, firm or corporation who violates any section of this chapter, in addition to the provisions of Subsection L(1) above, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500 for single-family residence driveways or $2,000 for all other driveways which may be enforced in the Central Warren Municipal Court or any other court having proper jurisdiction therefor.
