[Ord. No. 1022, § I, 10-28-2008; Ord. No. 1092, §§ XXXI—XXXII, 11-25-2014]
For the purpose of promoting the safety of the residents of
the City, all driveways constructed after the effective date of this
article, shall be of suitable construction, length, grade, width and
location, ensuring reasonable and safe access and turnaround for all
vehicles that will utilize the driveway, including, but not limited
to, emergency, fire, and police vehicles. Application for a driveway
permit shall include a plan showing the driveway that will serve the
premises. The City Department of Public Services (hereinafter referred
to as "DPW") shall inspect the proposed driveway location to ensure
adequate sight distance and may require a traffic study and/or engineered
plans for the driveway and drainage if the Commissioner of Public
Services (hereinafter referred to as the "Commissioner") deems such
plans necessary. The following are required.
[Ord. No. 1022, § I, 10-28-2008]
A driveway shall intersect with a street at a ninety-degree
angle. Any driveway serving a commercial or industrial use shall be
located a minimum of 25 feet from an abutting residential property.
[Ord. No. 1022, § I, 10-28-2008; Ord. No. 1158, § IX, 9-29-2015]
Driveways should be designed and located in such a manner as
to minimize cut and fill by maintaining and preserving the natural
topography and vegetation. Driveways shall be constructed with bituminous
concrete, cement, permeable pavers, compacted gravel, or other similar
material subject to approval by the Department of Public Utilities.
The surface shall be of a minimum of 12 inches of graded gravel, placed
over a properly prepared base, graded and compacted to drain from
the crown. Landscaping or other obstructions shall be maintained in
a manner that provides unobstructed access for such emergency vehicles.
At least 13.5 feet of nominal vertical clearance shall be provided
and maintained over the full width of the driveway for emergency vehicles.
All gates shall be located a minimum of 30 feet from the street and
shall not open outward. Fire department personnel shall have ready
access to locking mechanisms on any gate restricting access to the
driveway.
[Ord. No. 1022, § I, 10-28-2008]
Every driveway more than 300 feet in length shall have a turnaround
at the closed end with not less than a forty-foot radius.
[Ord. No. 1022, § I, 10-28-2008]
The grade of each driveway where it intersects with the street
shall not exceed 10%. The minimum grade of the remainder of any driveway
shall not be less than 2% in order to prevent pooling of water; the
maximum grade shall not be greater than 10%. Short sections may exceed
10% with the approval of the City Fire Department, but in no event
shall any section exceed 15%. Where any driveway or apron crosses
a sidewalk, all applicable Massachusetts Architectural Access Board
(MAAB) regulations, codified at 521 Code of Massachusetts Regulations
1.00 shall be met and are the responsibility of the applicant.
[Ord. No. 1022, § I, 10-28-2008]
Each residential driveway shall not be less than 10 feet in
width, excluding shoulders and parking. Each driveway serving a commercial
or industrial use shall be not less than 12 feet in width. Provisions
shall be made for factors that could impinge on the minimum width,
such as drainage, snow removal, parking, and utilities. All curve
radii shall be adequate for Fire Department and other emergency vehicles,
which is currently 40 feet. Residential driveway aprons shall not
exceed 24 feet in width, and aprons serving a commercial or industrial
use shall not exceed 30 feet in width unless approved by the Commissioner.
[Ord. No. 1022, § I, 10-28-2008]
Driveways shall be constructed with adequate drainage and erosion
control methods to ensure that no erosion will occur and all stormwater
runoff will be managed and maintained on the premises; not be directed
into the street, sidewalk or adjacent property. The use of nonstructural
stormwater management techniques and other low-impact development
methods that reduce impervious surface and enable infiltration where
appropriate, are encouraged.
[Ord. No. 1022, § I, 10-28-2008]
Driveways serving the premises shall provide access through the required frontage of the serviced lot, except in the case of a common driveway under § 20-100, herein.
Common driveways shall not service more than three lots or individual
buildings such as dwelling units or businesses; or six lots/buildings
for common driveways that connect to through streets in two locations.
The number may be increased by special permit of the Community Development
Board in accordance with an application for residential cluster or
flexible development. Common driveways shall provide the only vehicular
access to the lots/buildings being serviced by it and shall be so
stated in the deed(s). Common driveways shall not be considered streets
and shall not be used to satisfy zoning lot frontage requirements.
Said driveway shall satisfy all of the conditions in this article
as well as all of the following conditions:
(a)
General. The application for a common driveway shall be accompanied
by a site plan and a draft declaration of covenant(s), easement(s),
restriction(s) or other appropriate legal device(s), which shall provide
and demonstrate that access over the common driveway to all lots/buildings
and the use, maintenance, (such as, but not limited to, snow removal,
grading, repaving or any other required maintenance), other repair
and liability for the common driveway shall remain the responsibility
of the private parties, or their successors-in-interest in perpetuity.
Such documents shall be reviewed and approved by the City in final
legal form and thereafter recorded in the Berkshire Middle District
Registry of Deeds by the applicant. The erection of buildings is prohibited
until such time as documents have been recorded and the common driveway
has been constructed in accordance with the permit approval plan.
Evidence of the recording and approved construction shall be submitted
to the Building Commissioner prior to the issuance of a building permit
for any lot served by the common driveway. Street addresses for all
dwelling units or buildings or businesses on a common driveway shall
be posted in a manner sufficient for public safety purposes, both
at the intersection of the common driveway and the street, and at
the intersection of the common driveway and each individual driveway.
(b)
Location. A common driveway shall originate on approved frontage
and must be located entirely within the boundaries of the lot(s) being
served by the common driveway.
(c)
Maximum length. The maximum length of a common driveway shall be
400 feet. A common driveway shall be measured along its center line
from its point of intersection with the street to the most distant
portion of its turnaround.
(d)
Grade. Common driveways shall not exceed a 5% grade within 50 feet
of the intersection of the driveway and the street. The maximum grade
of any common driveway shall be 10%.
(e)
Construction. Common driveways shall have passing turnouts providing
a total width of at least 20 feet along a distance of at least 25
feet, spaced with no more than 300 feet between turnouts, and with
the first such passing turnout being located within 10 feet of the
driveway connection to the street. A turnaround shall be located at
the end of the common driveway that is adequate for fire and other
emergency vehicles.
