Purpose. For the safety of the general public, the City shall determine
the location, size, construction and number of access points to public
roadways within the City limits. It is the City's intent to provide
safe access to properties abutting public roadways suitable for the
property to be developed to its highest and best use, provided that
access is not deficient or dangerous to the general public.
Permit required to construct, reconstruct, alter or enlarge. No person,
firm or corporation shall construct, reconstruct, alter or enlarge
any private driveway within the limits of the dedicated portion of
any public street under the control and jurisdiction of the City of
Colby without first obtaining a permit therefor as provided by this
chapter.
Application. Application for such permit shall be made to the City
Clerk-Treasurer for referral to the Director of Public Works on a
form provided by the City and shall be accompanied by a drawing accurately
depicting the portion of the proposed private driveway to be constructed,
reconstructed, altered or enlarged lying within the dedicated portion
of the public street, the dimensions thereof and a statement of the
materials proposed to be used. The applicant shall pay a fee as set
by the Common Council. Upon receipt of the application and the fee,
if required, unless the proposed private driveway is a part of construction
for a building or other structure for which a building permit has
been applied for, in which case no additional fee is required, the
Director of Public Works shall approve such application if the proposed
driveway complies with the terms and conditions of this chapter and
any other applicable City ordinance.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
The applicant represents all parties in interest, and that such proposed
driveway is for the bona fide purpose of securing access to his property
and not for the purpose of parking or servicing vehicles, advertising,
storage or merchandising of goods within the dedicated portion of
the City street, or for any other purpose.
The City, notwithstanding the construction of such driveway, reserves
the right to make any changes, additions, repairs or relocations within
the dedicated portion of the City street at any time, including relocation,
reconstruction, widening and maintaining the street, without compensating
the owner of such private driveway for the damage or destruction of
such private roadway.
The permittee, his successors or assigns, agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the City of Colby, its officials, officers, agents or
employees against any claim or any cause of action for personal injury
or property damage sustained by reason of the exercise of such permit.
The City does not assume any responsibility for the removal or clearance
of snow, ice or sleet or the opening of any windrows of such material
upon such portion of such driveway within the dedicated portion of
the City street.
General design. Private driveways shall be of such width and so located
that all of such driveways and their appurtenances are within the
limits of the frontage abutting the street of the property served.
Driveways shall not provide direct ingress or egress to or from any
street intersection area and shall not encroach upon or occupy areas
of the street right-of-way required for effective traffic control
or for street signs or signals. A driveway shall be so located and
constructed that vehicles approaching or using it shall have adequate
sight distance along the street. Driveway approaches shall be at least
10 feet apart, except by special permission from the Director of Public
Works, and driveways shall in all cases be placed wherever possible
so as not to interfere with utilities in place.
Number. The number of driveways to serve an individual property fronting
on a street shall be one, except where deemed necessary and feasible
by the Common Council for reasonable and adequate service to the property,
considering the safety, convenience and utility of the street.
Island area. The island area in the street right-of-way between successive driveways or adjoining a driveway and between the highway shoulder and right-of-way shall constitute a restricted area and may be filled in and graded only as provided in Subsection A(6).
Drainage. The surface of the driveway connecting with street cross
sections shall slope downward and away from the highway shoulder a
sufficient distance to preclude ordinary surface water drainage flowing
onto the street roadbed. No driveway apron shall extend out into the
street further than the face of the curb, and under no circumstances
shall such driveway apron extend into the gutter area. All driveway
entrances and approaches shall be so constructed that they shall not
interfere with the drainage of streets, side ditches or roadside areas
or with any existing structure on the right-of-way.
Reconstruction of sidewalks and curb and gutter. When the construction of a driveway requires the removal of a curb or gutter, the new connections shall be of equivalent acceptable material and curb returns shall be provided or restored in a neat, workmanlike manner. The driveway surface shall be connected with the highway pavement and the sidewalk, if any, in a neat, workmanlike manner. The driveway construction shall include the replacement of such sidewalk areas which are inadequate or which are or may be damaged by means of vehicle travel across the sidewalk. All driveway entrances and approaches which are constructed across sidewalks shall be paved in accordance with the requirements for sidewalk construction in § 398-5 of the City Code insofar as such requirements are applicable, including thickness requirements. Standard thickness of residential driveway approaches will be six inches thick.
The filling or draining shall be to grades approved by the Director
of Public Works and, except where highway drainage is by means of
curb and gutter, water drainage of the area shall be directed away
from the street roadbed in a suitable manner.
Culvert extensions under the restricted area shall be of the
same size and of equivalent acceptable material as the culvert under
the driveway. Intermediate manholes adequate for cleanout purposes
may be required where the total culvert length is excessive.
Where no street side ditch separates the restricted area from
the street roadbed, permanent provision may be required to separate
the area from the street roadbed to prevent its use for driveway or
parking purposes by construction of a border, curb, rail or posts
as may be required by the Director of Public Works.
Relocation of utilities. Any costs of relocating utilities shall
be the responsibility of the property owner, with approval of the
Director of Public Works necessary before any utility may be relocated
and the driveway installed.
Construction across sidewalks. All driveway entrances and approaches which are constructed across sidewalks shall be paved in accordance with the requirements for sidewalk construction in § 398-5 of the City Code insofar as such requirements are applicable, including thickness requirements.
Variances. Any of the above requirements may be varied by the Common
Council in such instances where the peculiar nature of the property
or the design of the street may make rigid adherence to the above
requirements impossible or impractical.
Special requirements for commercial and industrial driveways. The
following regulations are applicable to driveways serving commercial
or industrial establishments:
Width of drive. The maximum permitted width of a commercial or industrial
driveway approach shall be 35 feet at the curbline, except as increased
by permissible radii. In instances where the unique nature of the
commercial or industrial activity or the physical characteristics
of the land would require a driveway of greater width than herein
specified, the Common Council in its discretion may permit a driveway
of additional width.
Island areas. Where the public sidewalk is adjacent to the curb,
an island of a minimum length of six feet measured along the curbline
shall be placed between each entrance to a City street. The curb shall
be left intact for the length of this island. Where the public sidewalk
is remote from the curb, an island of a minimum length of 10 feet
measured along the right-of-way line shall be maintained along each
entrance to the City street. All flares shall be tangent to the curbline.
A curb length of not less than three feet shall be left undisturbed
adjacent to each property line to serve as an island area in the event
an adjoining property owner applies for a driveway permit to serve
his property.
Width. Unless special permission is first received from the Common
Council, a residential single-type driveway shall be no greater than
24 feet wide at the curbline and 24 feet wide at the outer or street
edge of the sidewalk; residential double-type driveways shall be no
greater than 24 feet wide at the curbline and 24 feet wide at the
outer or street edge of the sidewalk.
Angular placement. The center line of the drive may be parallel to
the property line of the lot where access is required or at right
angles to the curbline.
Appeal from permit refusal. Any person feeling himself aggrieved
by the refusal of the Director of Public Works to issue a permit for
a private driveway may appeal such refusal to the Common Council within
20 days after such refusal to issue such permit is made.
No person, firm or corporation shall place, construct, locate in,
or cause to be placed, constructed or located in, any obstruction
or structure within the limits of any public road, highway or street
in the City of Colby except as permitted by this section. As used
herein the word "structure" includes private driveways, a portion
of which extends into any public road, highway or street, and which
is in nonconformance with this chapter.
No driveway shall be closer than 35 feet to the extended street line
at an intersection. At street intersections a driveway shall not provide
direct ingress or egress to or from the street intersection area and
shall not occupy areas of the roadway deemed necessary by the City
for effective traffic control or for highway signs or signals.
The grade of that portion of any private driveway or pedestrian path
located within the limits of any public road, highway or street shall
be such as shall meet the grade of the existing public roadway at
its edge and not cause an obstruction to the maintenance or clearing
of such public roadway.
No driveway apron shall extend out into the street further than the
facing of the curb, and under no circumstances shall such driveway
apron extend into any gutter area. All driveway entrances and approaches
shall be constructed so as not to interfere with the drainage of streets,
side ditches or roadside areas, or with any existing structure on
the right-of-way.
No portion of any curb, parapet or retaining wall, rising above the
grade of the driveway, erected by the owner of the premises involved
shall extend beyond the culvert spanning the watercourse located in
such public way.
Size. Culverts shall be installed prior to construction work being
commenced on the property served. No pipe smaller than 12 inches in
diameter (or equivalent elliptical or arch pipe) will be allowed.
All culverts shall be constructed of galvanized steel or reinforced
concrete, and shall be of new manufacture, unless specifically excepted
by the Director of Public Works.
Backfill material. Material used for backfill shall be of a quantity
acceptable to the Director of Public Works and shall be free from
frozen lumps, wood or other extraneous or perishable materials. The
minimum cover, measured from the top of the pipe to the top of the
subgrade, shall be six inches.
Distance. The distance between culverts under successive driveways shall not be less than 10 feet, except as such restricted area is permitted to be filled pursuant to § 236-2A(6).
Cost; responsibility for maintenance. The property owner shall install
the culvert and be responsible for the cost thereof. The property
owner shall keep his culverts unobstructed and clean.
Appeals. Persons may request a variance from the culvert requirements
of this section by filing a written appeals request with the City
Clerk-Treasurer, who shall place the matter as an agenda item for
the Common Council's next meeting. The Common Council may only waive
the requirement for a culvert upon a finding that unique physical
characteristics of the location in question render a culvert unnecessary.
The Director of Public Works may be asked to render an opinion on
the request.