(1) 
A road approach permit shall be obtained from Lewis County prior to accessing any county roadway.
(2) 
Access to State Highways is regulated by the Washington State Department of Transportation. The property owner desiring access to a state highway is responsible for coordinating with WSDOT for satisfactory completion of any requirements prior to construction.
(3) 
Secondary access for emergency vehicles may be required for certain high volume or public-safety-sensitive developments.
(4) 
No relocation, alteration, or reconstruction of existing road approaches shall be permitted without prior written approval from the county engineer. A change in use of an existing access will require permitting from the county engineer.
(5) 
Standards in this section apply to both roads and driveways; both are access points.
(Ord. 1194 Exh. B, 2007)
Roadway hierarchy based on functional classification provides a network of roads based on distinct travel movements and the service they provide. Roadway layout shall be based primarily on the safety, efficiency of traffic flow, and functional use of the roadway. Roadways are divided into arterials, collectors, local access roads, and very low volume public or private access roads.
(Ord. 1194 Exh. B, 2007)
(1) 
Road approach permits shall be approved by the county engineer. The applicant may be required to provide the information necessary to make a determination of approval, including:
(a) 
Existing and projected traffic volumes, accident history, and other operational considerations.
(b) 
Existing and projected state, local, and regional planning organization transportation plans and needs, including considerations of new or improved facilities.
(c) 
Drainage requirements per LCC § 12.60.280 and Chapter 15.45 LCC, so as to not increase the discharge of runoff from private properties onto the public roadway.
(d) 
Physical features of lands adjoining the roadway, including available sight distance.
(2) 
Road Approaches must meet the following conditions:
(a) 
Approaches must meet all legal and safety standards.
(b) 
The applicant shall place and maintain all appropriate warning signs, barricades, and warning lights as needed for safety of the public.
(c) 
All road surfaces, slopes, ditches, pipes, landscaping, etc. disturbed or damaged by the operation shall be restored to original or better condition within five days.
(d) 
Trenches shall be backfilled as soon as possible behind laying of pipe.
(e) 
No mud, dirt, or debris shall be allowed on the county right-of-way. The applicant is responsible for cleanup.
(f) 
The applicant is responsible for locating underground utilities.
(g) 
Lewis County will maintain approach culverts for water conveyance, but the property owner shall repair or replace as needed.
(h) 
Access will not be considered as legal until final inspection and approval. The road approach permit may be revoked for noncompliance.
(i) 
A copy of the road approach permit is to be maintained on site while the work is being performed.
(Ord. 1194 Exh. B, 2007)
(1) 
Commercial or subdivision approaches are constructed on private property to serve commercial, industrial, subdivision, or multi-family projects and must meet the following conditions:
(a) 
Access to a county road shall be limited to one road approach connected to the lowest classified roadway for each tract of property separately owned. Property fronting more than one public road may be permitted an access to each public road if the traffic impact analysis supports multiple accesses. Two or more county approaches accessing a public street will only be allowed with the approval of the county engineer. Properties contiguous to each other and owned by the same person are considered to be one tract.
(b) 
Commercial approaches shall be constructed with safety as the primary design criteria and to provide internal connections between neighboring properties. Developments must give priority to internal access before access to the county roadway system is permitted. Cross access allows vehicles to circulate between commercial properties without having to re-enter the county road system. All approaches shall meet the access spacing standards in LCC § 12.60.650.
(c) 
No commercial approach shall be approved where backing onto the roadway, sidewalk, or pathway will occur.
(d) 
Urban style commercial approaches shall be constructed to Standard Detail 3-6, Reverse Slope and Gutter Driveway Section, at the end of this chapter.
(e) 
Rural commercial approaches shall be constructed to Standard Detail 3-3, Residential and Commercial Driveway Approaches, at the end of this chapter.
(2) 
For access proposed as part of subdivision or commercial development, the county engineer may require a review under traffic impact analysis guidelines.
(3) 
For subdivisions of 20 units or more, at least two ingress/egress routes may be required by the county fire marshal or fire protection agency. A secondary access is required for developments where the ADT is greater than 1,000.
(Ord. 1194 Exh. B, 2007)
(1) 
Minimum access spacing provides drivers with sufficient perception-reaction time to address one potential conflict area at a time. Existing accesses on both sides of the roadway should be analyzed to determine proper location for a new access. Spacing is important to the safety and capacity of a roadway. Current AASHTO guidelines shall be used to determine access spacing.
(2) 
Corner Clearance. Corner clearance is the distance between a private access and the nearest cross road intersection and is applicable to all roadway classifications. Approaches shall be located as far from the intersection as possible or as defined by AASHTO guidelines.
(Ord. 1194 Exh. B, 2007)
The need for left turn, acceleration, and deceleration lanes in conjunction with development proposals shall be determined based on the criteria in AASHTO and the WSDOT Design Manual. Evaluation by the county engineer may require submittal of traffic data by the applicant/developer under the TIA guidelines.
(Ord. 1194 Exh. B, 2007)
(1) 
Gates are not allowed on county roadways.
(2) 
A building permit issued by the county is required when gates are installed over private driveways, roads, or shared access facilities. In order for the county to issue the building permit, the following requirements must be met:
(a) 
Locked gates shall have rapid-entry capabilities compatible with the local fire district requirements per the International Fire Code.
(b) 
All electrically activated gates will have default capabilities to the unlocked position.
(c) 
The minimum clear width of a gate shall be 20 feet.
(d) 
Gates that might be obstructed by the accumulation of snow shall not be installed.
(e) 
Gate posts, keypads, and other gate appurtenances shall not be located within the 20-foot wide clear width area.
(f) 
A vehicular turn-around sufficient to allow a vehicle to maneuver shall be provided in front of the gate.
(g) 
Gated access to commercial, residential, or industrial projects requires a traffic review to determine an appropriate stacking distance. The stacking distance shall be based on vehicle length, access street classification, and entering volumes in the p.m. peak hour.
(3) 
A gate shall be treated as a dead-end road. A turnaround per Standard Detail 3-7, Cul-De-Sac Detail, may be required to allow for an adequate turnaround before the gate.
(Ord. 1194 Exh. B, 2007)