[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of
the Town of Monroe 12-4-2008 (Ch. 49 of the 1976 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The travelway for vehicles between the edge of the road and
the property line, commonly referred to as the "apron."
The Director of Public Works or individual, partnership or
corporation duly appointed by the Town to undertake the duties and
exercise the authority herein conferred upon the Director.
The travelway for vehicles between the access and the garage
and/or off-street parking area.
The chief executive officer of the Town vested with the powers
as listed in the Town Charter.
Includes any person, firm, corporation, association or partnership.
Limit of the public-owned and/or -maintained land, including
the paved travelway, shoulder area and other areas dedicated and utilized
for public access and utility locations/service.
Public vehicular and pedestrian travelways (limits of maintained
pavement), referred to as "roads," "streets" or "highways." Said roads
include all public through traffic and nonoutlet travelways.
Common property boundary line between the Town roadway right-of-way
(ROW) and a private property line (typically the front yard property
line of a private parcel).
The Town of Monroe.
An adequate paved or graded area for backing
from a residential garage and/or parking space shall be provided in
order to preclude backing into a public street. Said turnaround area
shall be large enough to allow for a moving passenger vehicle to turn
a full 180° while performing only one backing movement. The configuration
of the turnaround shall be shown on a certified site plan submitted
with the required application for a building permit. The property
owner is responsible for providing, maintaining and replacing said
turnaround area. Driveway turnarounds should also be provided for
existing driveways, whenever possible, but are not a specific requirement
of this chapter.
Where an access or a driveway requires filling,
cutting or regrading in or near wetlands, watercourses or floodplains,
a permit to remove/deposit fill may be required by the Planning and
Zoning Commission, the Inland Wetlands Commission, the Floodplain
Administrator and/or any other applicable federal, state or local
agencies, boards or commissions prior to the issuance of a driveway
access permit.
A.Â
Location and layout.
(1)Â
No access shall be located within 50 feet of the intersection
of the street lines of two or more roads, unless it is unavoidable
in developing an approved building lot that is in existence at the
time of the adoption of this chapter. No more than one driveway shall
be constructed on the same premises unless the distance between access
aprons is 50 feet or more for driveways within residential properties
and 100 feet or more for all nonresidential properties.
(2)Â
A parking space, at least 10 feet in width and 20
feet in length, with adequate configuration for vehicular access to
the same, must be constructed adjacent to the street ROW and access
(apron) in cases where the driveway exceeds 100 feet in length and/or
the grade of the driveway exceeds 5% beyond the street line.
(3)Â
Provisions in this Subsection A shall not apply to driveways with access onto a permanent nonoutlet turnaround or cul-de-sac, unless the Town Engineer determines that the location of said driveway access in relationship to the overall length of the nonaccess road warrants that this Subsection A should apply.
B.Â
Angle. A driveway access shall enter a road at right
angles when possible and in no case shall the angle be less than 60°.
This shall apply for a distance of 40 feet from the center line of
the road.
C.Â
Width. All residential driveway access shall be no
less than 10 feet wide at the property line or at any point along
the driveway and no greater than 20 feet wide at the roadway edge,
unless a variation of this requirement is requested in writing and
approved by the Town Engineer. All other driveway widths shall be
as required by the planning and zoning regulations/application process.
D.Â
Grade.
(1)Â
The grade of the driveway access shall not exceed
3% within a distance of 20 feet from the edge of the paved roadway.
The remaining portion of the driveway from the Town road/ROW to the
internal lot garage and/or parking area(s) shall comply with the following:
(2)Â
In all cases, said driveway shall include a paved
access (apron) with, in the case of a driveway located down gradient
of the paved roadway, a high point located at the street line or other
appropriate location as accepted by the Town Engineer. A minimum of
two-percent pitch shall be utilized in establishing said high point.
E.Â
Design and construction. The design and construction of the access shall conform to Chapter 308, Highway Modification, of this Code, established Rules and Regulations for Highway Modification and all other applicable federal, state and local codes, ordinances, standards, regulations, notices, resolutions and/or requirements and practices.[1]
F.Â
Paved lip. A paved one-inch minimum lip with rounded
edges shall be provided at the edge of the driveway access (apron)
located along the roadway gutter and said paved lip shall be maintained
by the owner of the premises.
G.Â
Interference with culverts and drainage. The driveway
or access shall be so designed as not to interfere with the function
of existing culverts or drainage.
H.Â
Water. Water from a driveway or access must be diverted
or intercepted before reaching the roadway travel path, unless conditions
are accepted by the Town Engineer as being of minimal impact to the
roadway system.
I.Â
Sight line. The area along the edge of the road being
entered shall be unobstructed for a distance of 50 feet in each direction
from a point 10 feet back from the edge of the existing or proposed
travelway. Adequate sight line distance shall also be provided in
accordance with best management practices and the Connecticut Department
of Transportation Highway Design Manual methods and criteria, in addition
to the current American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials standards. Said sight line distance shall be reviewed and
accepted by the Town Engineer and shall in no case be less than 250
feet in either direction.
A.Â
Access on state highways shall not require permits,
provided that the proposed work complies with all requirements of
the State Highway Department of the State of Connecticut and required
permits are obtained from the State Highway Department of the State
of Connecticut, and provided further that a copy of such permit is
furnished to the Town Engineer and filed in the Building Department,
along with the application for a building or zoning permit, prior
to the commencement of any work.
B.Â
Persons receiving state permits, as provided above,
shall file an informational form or copy of the state permit with
the Director of Public Works, Town Engineer and/or the Town Planner
if requested as part of a Town permit or Commission approval process.
A.Â
Violations of this chapter shall bear a penalty of
$25 for each offense.
B.Â
Each day a driveway or access exists in violation
of this chapter (which is more than seven days following notice by
the Town to the owner of the property on which said driveway or access
is located, or to the person in charge of or occupying said property)
shall be considered a separate offense under this chapter.
C.Â
In addition to any other penalties as there may be,
access to or egress from any driveway constructed, located or relocated
in violation of this chapter may be prohibited at the discretion of
the Town. No regular access to or egress from a property by vehicle
shall be provided except by an approved driveway and access.
A.Â
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to
the maintenance and repair of a driveway or access in existence or
for which a permit has been issued at the time of or prior to the
adoption of this chapter.
B.Â
The driveway grade requirements pertaining to the
portion of the driveway located fully within the parcel, as detailed
in this chapter, and sight line requirements, as also detailed in
this chapter, shall not be required for properties existing at the
time of the adoption of this chapter if site conditions preclude the
provision of the same as demonstrated on a furnished certified site
drawing (by appropriate professional engineer and/or land surveyor)
and accepted by the Town Engineer.
Nothing in this chapter shall require the Town
to repair or improve any driveway or access or shall render the Town
liable to a property owner for failure to make said repair or improvement
except where such repair or improvement is made necessary as a result
of the widening, repair, maintaining or relocation of a Town road.
