The purpose of this chapter is to assure the proper installation
and alteration of all private driveways in the Township of Andover,
to minimize erosion and flow of soil and debris from driveways, to
prevent increased runoff onto adjoining properties, to ensure adequate
gutter flow, and to promote safe and comfortable roadway conditions.
This chapter requires design criteria and professional supervision
during construction to ensure that new driveways be located and constructed
in a manner to minimize the foregoing problem areas.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL USE
That use of lands and premises as defined under the Farmland
Assessment Act of 1964 (N.J.S.A. 54:4-23.1), as provided under N.J.S.A.
54:4-23.1 and 54:4-23.4, independent of acreage for compliance.
ALTER DRIVEWAY
A driveway is altered within the meaning of this chapter when the horizontal or vertical alignment of it's center line is relocated by more than two feet, or when its dimensions are enlarged beyond those specified in §
45-10A of this chapter. Normal maintenance, such as replacing stone, patching asphalt, and repaving, or improvements to an existing driveway (subject to the limitations set forth in the previous sentence hereof), such as paving or widening, shall not be considered as "altering a driveway."
COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAY
One providing access to an office, retail or institutional
building or to an apartment building having more than five dwelling
units or any other use classified as commercial or institutional in
the Andover Township Land Use Ordinance, but not by way of limitation thereof. Industrial plant
driveways whose principal function is to serve administrative or employee
parking lots are considered "commercial driveways."
COMMON DRIVEWAY
A jointly owned roadway that provides entry to more than
one dwelling or place of business from a public road or street.
DRIVEWAY
In addition to its regularly accepted common meaning, also refers to any lane, way, field entrance or privately owned road, except as hereinafter exempted in §
45-3.
INDUSTRIAL DRIVEWAY
One directly serving substantial numbers of truck movements
to and from loading areas of an industrial facility, warehouse or
truck terminal.
PLOT PLAN OR SKETCH
A construction plot plan prepared by a licensed professional
engineer in the State of New Jersey; or prepared by the owner containing
sufficient detail and determined to be acceptable by the Township
Engineer that complies fully with all provisions of this chapter.
RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY
One providing access to a single- or multifamily residence
or to an apartment building containing five or fewer multifamily residences
or to an apartment building containing five or fewer dwelling units.
ROADWAY
The portion of a public road right-of-way on which travel
is conducted.
STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS
The New Jersey State Department of Transportation Specifications
for Road and Bridge Construction, 1989, and amendments thereto.
All lands and premises used for agricultural and horticultural purposes and served by a driveway solely for access to fields and woods for said agricultural or horticultural purposes and not for residential or commercial uses in conjunction therewith are hereby deemed exempt from the provisions of this chapter, with the exception of the provisions of §
45-11 and §
45-12.
There shall be submitted with an application for a driveway
permit, the following fees, payable to the Township of Andover:
A. Nonrefundable permit application fee: $25.
B. Driveways up to eight-percent slope, engineering review and inspection
escrow fee: $500.
C. Where driveway slopes exceed 8%, an additional fee of $300 shall
be deposited with the application to defer the costs associated with
review of the increased complexities of design and construction.
D. Where the review and inspection costs exceed, or are anticipated
to exceed, the initial escrow deposit, the applicant shall pay the
additional amount prior to the issuance of a certificate of approval
(CA).
E. Where the anticipated review and inspection costs do not exceed the
initial escrow deposit, the applicant shall be refunded any amount
that is not expended by the Township for such costs.
All entrance and exit driveways to a Township road shall be located to afford maximum safety to traffic on said Township road in accordance with the following requirements and standard specifications as defined in §
45-2 and the New Jersey State Department of Transportation Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, 1989, and amendments thereto. (Note: Certain requirements may be superseded for driveways along county or state roads.)
A. Driveways shall be not less than 75 feet from any street intersection.
B. No part of any driveway shall be located within 10 feet of a side
property line unless one driveway serves two lots.
C. Where two or more driveways connect a single site to any one Township
road, a minimum clear distance of 150 feet measured along the right-of-way
line shall separate the closest of any two such drives.
D. New driveways shall be so designed as to allow motor vehicles to
turn around on the site in order to make it unnecessary to back any
motor vehicle onto the street.
E. Whenever possible, all driveways shall be designed in profile, grade,
and location to permit a minimum sight distance in accordance with
the following table. Roads which are not posted for speed limits shall
be considered to be 50 miles per hour, unless, in the opinion of the
Township Engineer, the applicant's engineer can demonstrate in writing
that the horizontal geometric considerations, or location, dictate
otherwise. The sight distance measurement shall be from a sight point
on the center line of the driveway and 10 feet behind the curbline
of the thoroughfare, or if no curbline exists, a minimum of 10 feet
from the edge of the road. The sight line, equal to the required sight
distance, shall be between sight points set at an eye height 3 1/2
feet to an object of equal height and shall not be less that six inches
above any obstruction other than planted areas. In planted areas,
the sight line shall be no less than one foot above grade. A clear
sight triangle shall be established connecting the sight points described
above, and shall be graded and otherwise kept free of trees, shrubbery,
fences, structures, etc., in order to maintain clear vision between
sight points. All driveways, including exit or entrance driveways,
shall be located to afford maximum safety to the traffic on the Township
road.
|
Allowable Speed on Township Road
(mph)
|
Required Sight Distance
(feet)
|
---|
|
25
|
240
|
|
30
|
275
|
|
35
|
315
|
|
40
|
350
|
|
45
|
420
|
|
50
|
475
|
|
NOTE: In no instance shall the sight distance be less than 200
feet.
|
(1) All applicants shall take the required action to obtain the required
sight distance immediately after receipt of initial driveway permit
approval and during the commencement of the drive's construction.
In no instance will a temporary or a permanent certificate of approval
be granted until the required sight distance on the approved plan
is verified in the field. The Township Engineer may require a statement
by the applicant's engineer, on the engineer's letterhead, attesting
that the required sight distance has been met.
(2) Any and all actions taken to obtain the required minimum sight distance
shall be done in a lasting and permanent manner.
(3) Any trees shall be removed within the sight triangle.
The Land Use Board must approve common driveways. If the Land
Use Board approves a driveway utilized by more than two residential
units, it shall be in accordance with the following minimum requirements:
A. All common driveways within the Township shall have deeded provisions
for maintenance, parking, and snow removal; however, the Township
will have the power but not the duty to enforce this provision. For
new subdivisions, the Land Use Board Engineer and Attorney must approve
the deeded provisions.
B. The driveway shall have a minimum width of 14 feet and a graded width
of not less than 18 feet.
C. Common driveways which exceed 300 feet in length shall have one or
more passing areas, within sight of each other and not more than 500
feet apart. Such passing areas shall be cleared and graded to a width
of 20 feet and shall be improved to a width of 16 feet. The minimum
length of this widened area shall be 20 feet, with ten-foot tapers
on each end.
All driveways to be constructed, or existing driveways to be
altered, which intersect with the right-of-way line of any public
road shall be constructed or altered in accordance with the following
minimum requirements:
A. Within the right-of-way limits, the finished grade of the driveway
shall be no greater than 6%.
B. In instances where the driveway to be constructed or altered intersects
a roadway with a shoulder, the driveway grade shall be the grade of
the shoulder.
C. The driveway shall slope upward or downward from the gutter line
on a straight slope of a maximum of 6% at least 25 feet long for residential
driveways and 40 feet long for commercial and industrial driveways,
unless otherwise specified by the Township Engineer. (See Figure 1.)
D. At no point shall the finished grade of the driveway be greater than
15%.
E. Changes in center-line grades of 2% or more shall be made with smooth
vertical curves not less than 25 feet in length.
F. All side slopes shall not exceed a six-foot vertical change in elevation
with side slopes exceeding a ratio of three to one without a wooden
guide rail, boulder or other approved method of protection.
Driveways shall be constructed of the following materials:
A. Residential driveways entering unpaved roads: six inches (compacted
thickness) of one-and-one-half-inch quarry process (blend) stone,
three-fourths-inch dirty road stone or soil aggregate Type 5, Class
A, or Type 2, Class B, thoroughly rolled and compacted at the specified
width.
B. Residential driveways entering paved roads.
(1) Driveways with slopes less than 8% shall be constructed with a base
course six inches (compacted thickness) of one-and-one-half-inch quarry
process (blend) stone, three-fourths-inch dirty road stone or soil
aggregate Type 5, Class A, or Type 2, Class B, thoroughly rolled and
compacted at the specified width. The first 25 feet from the edge
of the roadway shall be paved with two inches of bituminous concrete
Type F FABC-1, Mix I-5, thoroughly compacted.
(2) All driveway slopes in excess of 8% at any point within 250 feet
of the public right-of-way shall be paved with two inches thoroughly
rolled and compacted thickness of bituminous concrete Type FABC-1,
Mix I-5, over a four-inch soil aggregate Type 5, Class A, or Type
2, Class B, stone or dense graded aggregate thoroughly rolled and
compacted from the right-of-way to the end of the eight-percent grade.
C. Commercial driveways.
(1) Surface course: two inches (compact thickness) of bituminous concrete
Type FABC-1, Mix I-5; over
(2) Base course: four inches (compacted thickness) of plant-mixed bituminous
concrete, Mix I-2, thoroughly rolled and compacted; over
(3) Sub-base course: four inches (compacted thickness) of one-and-one-half-inch
quarry process (blend) or soil aggregate, Type 5, Class A, or Type
2, Class B, stone or dense graded aggregate thoroughly rolled and
compacted.
D. Driveways entering curbed roads.
(1) Curbs crossing driveways shall be constructed or reconstructed to
provide a depression with a two-inch curb height relative to the edge
of the roadway pavement. The top of the depressed curb shall be sloped
down toward the roadway to provide a one-and-one-half-inch curb face.
(2) The total depth of concrete shall be maintained across the depression.
(3) Transitions from the depressed curb to the full-faced curb shall
be over a maximum length of 18 inches. If an existing expansion joint
is within four feet of a new depressed concrete curb, the existing
curb shall be replaced to that control joint.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Township Engineer, in his review of an application for a driveway permit, determines that strict adherence to any of the requirements in this Chapter
45 would impose a severe hardship on the owner without any corresponding benefit to the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Andover Township, the Township Engineer, may (but shall not be obligated to) grant waivers from the strict application of the provisions of this Chapter
45. The Township Engineer shall not, however, approve any such waivers if the requirements for same are included in any of the ordinances of the Township of Andover, so that a waiver of same would mandate that the applicant seek a waiver or variance from any board or body having jurisdiction over such provision. In such event, any such board or body, upon proper application and notice as provided by law, may grant the requested waivers. It is the intention of this section to vest in the Township Engineer the discretion to grant waivers from the strict requirements, provided same does not impact the health, safety and welfare of persons traversing driveways and roadways in the Township of Andover.
Any person or persons, firm or corporation violating any provision
of this chapter which results in deteriorated aprons, broken pipes
or debris in the roadway caused by debris flow from driveways or results
in damage to or obstruction of any public road, gutter, storm drain,
ditch, basin inlet or culvert shall be responsible for all expenses
incurred by the Township in repairing said damage or removing said
obstruction, in addition to the penalty herein provided. Further,
in the event that property-owner negligence in driveway construction
or maintenance has contributed to said damage or obstruction, the
Township Public Works Supervisor shall notify, in writing, said property
owner of the specific conditions requiring correction and request
driveway repair. If, in the opinion of the Township Public Works Supervisor,
said repairs are not completed in a timely manner, then the Township
shall cause said repairs to be completed at the property owner's expense.
If any person shall be aggrieved by an action of the Township
Enforcement Officer/Engineer/Public Works Supervisor under this chapter,
appeal therefrom in writing to the Township Committee may be taken
within 10 days after the date of such action. The Township Committee
shall fix a reasonable time for the hearing of the appeal, giving
due notice thereof to the appellant. Said appellant shall, at least
10 days to the time appointed, notify by certified mail all owners
of property within 200 feet of the extreme limits of the property
to be affected by such appeal, measured along both sides of the public
road, as they appear on the current municipal tax records. Said notice
shall state the time and place of the hearing and the matter being
appealed. The appellant shall also cause notice of the hearing to
be published in the official newspaper or a newspaper of general circulation
in the Township at least 10 days prior to the hearing. The appellant
shall, by affidavit, present satisfactory proof to the Township Committee
at the time of the hearing that said notices have been duly mailed
and published as required by this section.