Borough of Larksville, PA Article IV Curb Cuts and Driveway Construction

[Adopted 12-16-1997 by Ord. No. 6-1997 (Ch. 135, Art. IV, of the 1987 Code)]

§ 456-16 Width, grades, slopes and general requirements of driveways.

All private driveways hereafter constructed across any pavement, sidewalk, curb, swale or shoulder of a Borough roadway or street shall meet the following requirements:

A. Driveway, within the legal right-of-way, shall be not less than eight feet, nor more than 16 feet wide, measured from the low side of each two- or three-foot drive transition.

B. Where a driveway requires the construction of curb, or the cutting alteration or modification of a curb, the curb shall meet the requirements of the Borough's Sidewalk and Curb Ordinance.[1] Specifically, all new curbs shall be eight inches by 18 inches CL AA Concrete, 3,750 psi at 28 days, with a normal reveal of eight inches and a driveway reveal flush to one-half-inch high. Driveway transitions shall be not less than two feet nor more than three feet long. No driveway transition shall be constructed beyond the projected boundary or lot line of the adjacent lot.

[1] Editor's Note: See Art. III, Sidewalk and Curb Construction.

C. Where a driveway requires the construction of a concrete sidewalk, or the cutting, alteration or modification of an existing sidewalk, the driveway shall meet the requirements of the Borough's Sidewalk and Curb Ordinance. Specifically, all new concrete sidewalks for driveways shall be constructed with CL AA Concrete, 3,750 psi at 28 days, with a minimum depth of six inches atop a bed of four inches of 2-B stone. The slope of the driveway through the sidewalk area shall not exceed 1/4 inch/foot.

D. Where a driveway proposes to cross a roadside swale or shoulder (where no curbs or walks exist), the driveway shall be constructed in strict conformance with the driveway detail drawing contained herein.[2] Specifically, no driveway shall be constructed across any swale or shoulder unless provisions are made to maintain the swale and shoulder, as contained on the driveway detail. No pipe shall be permitted without the prior written consent of the Borough Engineer.

[2] Editor's Note: The driveway detail drawing is on file in the Borough offices.

E. Any disturbance of a swale, roadway pipe, shoulder or roadway shall be repaired at the sole cost of the applicant, in strict conformance with the requirements set forth by Borough officials.

F. The slope of any driveway shall comply with the following:

(1) For roads with curbs and walks. The drive slope shall maintain the elevation of the adjacent slabs and shall be not more than 2% to the projected back of the walk area; beyond the back walk the slope can be increased up to 12%, provided that there are no drainage facilities (swales or pipes).

(2) For roads with no curbs or walks. The drive slope shall be not more than the percent shown on the detail drawing for roads with no curbs and walks. In this instance, the driveway grade shall maintain the slope and grade of the shoulder and swale up and down grade of the driveway.

G. When driveways are constructed on roads with no curbs or walks, the final surface of the driveway shall match flush with the edge of pave and the adjacent shoulder and/or swale on both sides. This will require excavation to box out the drive to the required depth for the paving.

H. No driveway shall be sloped directly onto the roadway that will cause water from the drive to flow onto the roadway. In all cases, a flow line must be established at the shoulder edge, or in the case of a swale, in the center of the swale.

I. No driveway pipe shall be permitted with less than a fifteen-inch diameter with the right-of-way of a Borough roadway. All driveway pipes shall be hydraulically sized to pass the flow of the upgrade drainage system.

J. When pipes are allowed under driveways, the minimum cover established by the pipe manufacturer shall be maintained. The pipe shall be extended a minimum of one foot beyond the toe of embankment, and then a flared-end section may be required at either end, as determined by the Borough.

K. Driveways within the legal right-of-way of state roads are subject to regulations established by PennDOT and are not subject to the provisions of this article. In the case of a state road, the applicant must secure all required PennDOT permits to construct the drive. The Borough has no involvement.

L. All driveway permit applications must include a sketch and details, including but not limited to the following: location with respect to property lines, homes and roads; length and width; pavement composition; grade and slope; and all other pertinent information such as hydraulic calculations, pipe size and slope, swale treatment, etc., as determined by the Borough.

§ 456-17 Permit required.

Before any private driveway may be constructed across a sidewalk and before any curb cut can be made, a permit shall be obtained from the Borough Code Enforcement Officer. All driveways shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of this article, unless indicated otherwise in writing by the Borough Engineer. The driveway permit application must include all information requested, including sketches and details of the proposed driveway and any other pertinent work such as concrete sidewalks, curbs, pipes, swales, shoulders, etc., complete.

§ 456-18 Fee.

The fee for a driveway or curb cut shall be $50.

§ 456-19 Sidewalk not to be disturbed.

All paved portions of the sidewalk must not be disturbed, and the height and grade must remain the same as before the driveway was constructed. The balance of the pavement shall remain the same height and grade as before the construction of the driveway.

§ 456-20 Faulty construction.

In case any person shall construct a driveway or a curb cut and shall not conform to the requirements of this article, the Borough Code Enforcement Officer may order such person, firm or corporation to remove the improper work and place the same in compliance with this article. Notice to remove and replace improper work shall be given by registered or certified mail and shall state that the person, firm or corporation shall have seven days from receipt of the notice to comply therewith. Upon compliance, the Borough may do or cause the requested repairs to be done and may levy the cost of its work on such owner as a property lien to be collected in any manner provided by law.

§ 456-21 Violations and penalties.

Any person, firm or corporation who shall fail to obtain a permit before constructing a private driveway or making a curb cut shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $300. Each day that a violation of this article continues shall constitute a separate offense.