[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Washington 2-11-1987 by Ord. No. 87-2; amended in its entirety 5-18-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-07. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
No person shall construct or alter a driveway or lane which shall enter onto the public roads of the Township without first obtaining a driveway permit from the Township Engineer. The Township Zoning Officer shall not issue a zoning permit for the construction or alteration of any structure which involves the construction or alteration of a driveway unless he has received an approved driveway application from the Township Engineer.
B. 
Ordinary maintenance or paving of existing driveways not involving widening or extending existing driveways shall be exempted from the terms of this chapter.
C. 
Entrances to farm fields for the purposes of farming shall be exempt from the terms of this chapter provided that the entrance location provides the minimum sight distance in § 70-4F below.
D. 
Separate permits or applications for buildings or structures for which site plan application has been made and approved by the appropriate municipal body shall be exempt from the terms and requirements of this chapter.
A. 
Applicants for a driveway permit shall prepare an application on forms supplied by the Township, with drawings showing a plan, profile and typical cross section of the proposed driveway.
B. 
For a driveway to a single-family dwelling or farm, the drawing may be prepared by the applicant; for all other driveways, including common driveways, the drawings shall be prepared by a professional engineer licensed in the State of New Jersey.
C. 
The application for such permit shall include a plot plan or sketch showing the location of the proposed driveway. The plot plan shall include the following:
(1) 
The name and address of the owner and applicant.
(2) 
The Tax Map sheet, block and lot number.
(3) 
Property lines and North arrow.
(4) 
Setback and location of structures, proposed and existing.
(5) 
Curbs and sidewalks, proposed and existing, with construction details, if applicable.
(6) 
Utility installations affecting the driveway.
(7) 
Trees and other obstructions within the sight triangles.
(8) 
Advisory, directional, regulatory and advertising signs within sight triangles.
(9) 
Location of existing driveways on the lot and adjoining lots; location of the proposed driveway shall be dimensioned from the nearest utility pole, and the pole number shall be shown.
(10) 
Proposed width of the driveway.
(11) 
Intersection angle of the driveway with the road or street.
(12) 
Curbline or street-line opening.
(13) 
For other than single-family residential, the estimated number of cars and trucks which will use the driveway each day shall be listed.
(14) 
The type of storm drainage to be constructed at the driveway entrance.
(15) 
The construction details of the driveway, width, thickness of material and type of material.
(16) 
Plan and profile of the driveway drawn to an appropriate scale. For a single-family dwelling, the profile only needs to show the first 50 feet of the driveway length. For all other driveways, including common driveways, the plan and profile shall show the full length of the driveway and the connections to the individual buildings and parking areas to be accessed through the driveway.
There shall be submitted with the application the following escrow amounts and nonrefundable permit fees, payable to the Township of Washington. Payments for the escrow and nonrefundable permit fees shall be made with two separate checks:
A. 
Residential driveway: $25 permit fee; $400 escrow fee for review and inspection.
B. 
Common and multifamily residential driveway: $25 permit fee; $450 escrow fee for review and inspection.
C. 
Commercial and industrial driveway: $25 permit fee; $550 escrow fee for review and inspection.
D. 
The Township can require additional escrow, as determined by the Finance Department and Township Engineer, to ensure all review and inspection costs are funded.
A. 
Paving, width and slope shall conform to the minimum standards tabulated below:
Table of Design and Construction Standards9
Standard
Single-Family Dwelling
2 or More Single-Family Dwellings5
Multiple-Family Single Building
Cluster or Apartment Buildings
Commercial or Industrial Buildings
Width
(feet)
10
15
18
24
30 (two-way)
24 (one-way)
Surface
—1
—2
—3
—3
—4
Slope
(percent)
66
66
47
47
48
NOTES:
1
Two-inch bituminous concrete surface on four-inch dense-graded aggregate base for the first 25 feet from the edge of the Township road.
2
Two-inch bituminous concrete surface on four-inch dense-graded aggregate base for the first 100 feet from the edge of the Township road.
3
Two-inch bituminous concrete surface on four-inch bituminous stabilized base for the entire length.
4
Two-and-one-half-inch bituminous concrete surface on five-inch bituminous stabilized base and six-inch dense-graded aggregate subbase.
5
No more than four single-family dwellings may share a common driveway. See also Subsection I below.
6
Slope applies to 25 feet from the edge of the road pavement; maximum slope of 15%.
7
Slope applies to the first 50 feet from the edge of the road pavement; maximum slope of 12%.
8
Slope applies to the first 25 feet from the edge of the road pavement; maximum slope of 12%.
9
Construction material shall conform to New Jersey Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridges, 1983.
B. 
Number of driveway openings.
(1) 
The maximum number of driveway openings permitted from a commercial or industrial lot to any one road shall be limited as follows:
Length of Lot Frontage
(feet)
Permitted Number of Driveway Openings
150 or less
1
151 or more
2
(2) 
The maximum number of driveway openings permitted from an interior lot with a detached single-family residential dwelling is as follows:
Type of Lot
Type of Driveway
Permitted Number of Driveway Openings
Lot, interior
Dual purpose (ingress and egress)
1
Lot, interior
Circular driveway with separate entrance and exits [Where permitted - see § 70-4A(4) for permitted locations]
2
(3) 
The maximum number of dual purpose driveway openings for a detached single-family residential dwelling that is situated on a corner lot is two, as long as no more than one dual purpose driveway opening is situated on a particular road frontage. The maximum number of driveway openings on a corner lot can be increased to three if one of the driveways is a circular driveway where there are separate entrances and exits. No more than one circular driveway is permitted for each lot with a detached single-family residential dwelling.
(4) 
Circular driveways are only permitted in single-family residential zones on lots that exceed an area of 20,000 square feet, and where the lot frontage meets or exceeds the minimum required by Chapter 123 for the applicable zone, and where all other criteria in Chapter 70 are being complied with.
C. 
Location. All entrance and exit driveways to a Township road shall be located to afford maximum safety to traffic on said Township road and in accordance with the following requirements:
(1) 
Driveways shall be so designed as to allow motor vehicles to turn around on site in order to make it unnecessary to back any motor vehicle onto the public road.
(2) 
Driveways shall be not less than 75 feet from any street intersection.
(3) 
Driveways shall be not less than 10 feet from the side or rear yard lot line as measured along the street right of way and/or property line. A flared or widen apron within the right of way shall not be less than five feet from the extended property line.
(4) 
A minimum clear distance of 25 feet shall separate any two driveways (on the same premises or on adjacent lots as measured along the street right-of-way.
D. 
The angle of driveways shall be as follows:
(1) 
Residential.
(a) 
Two-way operation. Driveways shall be at 90° for a distance of at least 25 feet from the center line of the Township road.
(b) 
One-way operation.
[1] 
Right turn only: 45°.
[2] 
Right and left turn: as near to 90° as site conditions allow, but not less than 75°.
(2) 
Commercial and industrial. These driveways shall be designed for their particular situation, using turning templates to test truck movements to and from both directions of travel. Flat angles and one-way drives shall be utilized whenever feasible. Driveway exits for one-way operation shall be at an angle not less than 30°.
E. 
Curbs. Where curbs exist, a full section of the curb shall be entirely removed, and a depressed curb shall be constructed. Depressed curbs shall conform to the standards on file with the Township Engineer. Breaking the existing curb away to the pavement line will not be permitted.
F. 
Sight triangles. Sight triangles shall be provided as listed below. Sight distances shall be measured from a point 42 inches above the driveway surface and eight feet outside of the edge of the pavement of the Township road.
Allowable Speed on Township Road
(mph)
Required Sight Distance
(feet)
25 or less
155
30
200
35
250
40
305
45
360
50
425
G. 
Erosion control.
(1) 
Driveways shall be constructed and maintained in such a manner as to prevent erosion of soil from them and land adjacent to them. All disturbed areas not otherwise paved or landscaped shall be topsoiled, seeded and mulched as soon as practical after construction of the driveway.
(2) 
The owner of any existing driveway which causes problems of soil or aggregate runoff within the right-of-way of any Township road or on adjoining property shall, upon written notice from the Township Engineer, correct the conditions causing said problems within 14 days of said notification. Failure to make such corrections shall be in violation of this chapter.
H. 
Drainage.
(1) 
No driveway shall be designed or constructed to permit surface water to flow onto the pavement of any Township road, nor shall any existing drainageway, swale, ditch or pipe be blocked or disturbed by the construction of any driveway unless provision for relocation or reconstruction is made in the design. Drainage design shall be subject to the review and approval of the Township Engineer.
(2) 
The requirements of the Township Stormwater Control Ordinance (§§ 64-31 and 64-31.1 through 64-31.14) shall be addressed to the extent applicable.
(3) 
All driveways constructed within the public right-of-way shall be constructed in such a manner as not to interfere with the drainage along the existing pavement or gutter. Under no circumstances shall the driveway be allowed to extend beyond the edge of the existing gutter line of a public roadway and create a hump or uneven driving surface on the pavement or shoulder. In certain circumstances, as approved by the Township Engineer, the driveway may be constructed to have a sufficient rise above shoulder level to prevent excess runoff from the roadway onto adjacent property.
(4) 
The construction of a properly sized dish-type gutter will be permitted, provided that existing gutter flow will not be changed.
(5) 
The installation of a suitable-sized reinforced concrete pipe or equivalent shall be required in the event that the existing flow line or ditch cannot be crossed with a shallow dish-type gutter. The size of the pipe shall be subject to the approval of the Township Engineer. No pipe shall be smaller than 15 inches in diameter.
(6) 
The installation of suitable-sized cross drains shall be required at points along the driveway as deemed necessary by the Township Engineer in order to prevent the accumulation of large quantities of runoff water and the effects of soil erosion on the public road or adjoining property.
I. 
Common driveways.
(1) 
Up to four single-family dwellings may use a common driveway, subject to the approval of the municipal agency having jurisdiction over the subdivision in which the lots which will share the driveway are created.
(2) 
A turnaround area with a minimum diameter of 40 feet shall be constructed at the end of the common driveway for the use of emergency vehicles, and no parking of any nature shall be permitted on this turnaround.
J. 
Inspection.
(1) 
The construction of all driveways shall be subject to the inspection and approval of the Township Engineer. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued until the Township Engineer notifies the Building Code Official that the driveway has been installed in accordance with the approved plan.
(2) 
In the event that the construction season is too far along to permit the placing of the bituminous pavement, a temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued if the applicant has posted a cash bond or letter of credit with the Township guaranteeing that the driveway will be completed within 12 months from the date of this bond. The amount of the bond shall be established by the Township Engineer.
K. 
Waivers. The Township Committee, on good cause shown, may waive any of the provisions above if the strict enforcement thereof would result in unnecessary hardship to the applicant.
L. 
Violations and penalties.
(1) 
Any person or persons, firm or corporation violating any section of this chapter which results in damage to or obstruction of any public road, gutter, storm drain or other structure owned by the Township shall be responsible for all expenses incurred by the Township for repairing said damage or removing said obstruction, in addition to the penalties herein provided.
(2) 
Any person or persons, firm or corporation who violates any section of this chapter, in addition to the provisions of Subsection L(1) above, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500 for single-family residence driveways or $2,000 for all other driveways which may be enforced in the Central Warren Municipal Court or any other court having proper jurisdiction therefor.