The Borough of Economy finds that it is in the public interest to regulate the design, location and construction of access driveways in such a manner so as to facilitate the safe and unobstructed movement of vehicular traffic on Borough highways.
[Adopted 3-9-1976 as Ord. No. 179]
The following words and phrases when used in these regulations shall, for the purpose of these regulations, have the following meanings, respectively, except in those instances where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Any means for passage of vehicles between property abutting on a Borough highway and the Borough highway. It shall be deemed to include only that part of the driveway that lies within the established right-of-way limits of the Borough highway. It will also include such drainage structures as may be necessary for the proper construction and maintenance thereof.
All road and streets taken over by the Borough of Economy as Borough highways under provisions of any act of the Council.
The edge of the main traveled portion of any street or highway, exclusive of shoulder or berm.
Plain or reinforced concrete, bituminous concrete or macadam of required thickness.
Any natural person, firm, copartnership, association or corporation.
The distance measured along the pavement edge or curb between the property frontage boundary line and the near edge of the driveway.
An area where roadways have been built to typical rural highway standards without sidewalks and curbs.
The intersection of the shoulder slope with the side slope or ditch slope.
A permanent hard-paved walkway, continuous for a reasonable distance and an integral part of the highway department, solely for use of pedestrians.
An area where the roadways have been built to typical city street standards, including sidewalks and curbs.
Any device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a public highway.
A.
These regulations shall apply to all access driveways that enter Borough highways.
B.
Any person desiring to construct or lay out such driveway shall make application to the department office having jurisdiction over the highway to be intersected for approval of the location, design and mode of construction of such driveway, and for permission to proceed. Application forms will be available at Borough offices to any applicant upon request. The construction or layout of a proposed driveway will not be started prior to receipt of a written permit approving the location, design and mode of construction thereof, signed by either the Borough Engineer, Road Department Foreman or the authorized representative of the Department of Roads and containing such reasonable terms and conditions as the Department may deem necessary to impose. The fee for said permit and inspection shall be set by the Borough Council.
A.
All driveways shall be located, designed and constructed in such a manner as not to interfere or be inconsistent with the design, maintenance and drainage of the Borough highway.
C.
Access driveways should not be located at locations that would interfere with the placement and proper functioning of highway signs, signals, detectors, lighting or other devices that affect traffic control.
D.
Where highway curbs exist, driveway approaches shall be installed one and one-half (1 1/2) inches above the adjacent highway or gutter grade to maintain the proper drainage.
A.
Access driveways shall be located at a point of optimum sight distance along the highway within the property frontage limits. The profile of the driveway and the grading of the right-of-way area shall provide a maximum sight distance so that the operator of a vehicle departing from such a driveway will have optimum visibility in either direction along the highway.
B.
Where adequate sight distances cannot be attained, the location of the driveway will be at the discretion of the authorized Borough representative.
A.
All driveways shall be constructed in such a manner as not to impair drainage within the highway right-of-way, alter the stability of the roadway subgrade or materially change the drainage of adjacent areas. Where open shoulders or berms exist, the grade of a paved access driveway(s) shall slope away from the highway pavement at the same rate as the existing shoulder (unless advised to the contrary by the authorized Borough representative) for the prevailing width of the shoulder. The gradient of a driveway beyond this point (within the highway right-of-way) shall be not less than 1/2 inch per foot.
B.
Driveway ramps may extend from the face of the curb up to the outer edge of the sidewalk area in those cases where a planted area occurs between multiple driveways. The rate of slope for such driveway ramps preferably should not exceed one inch per foot. Where conditions are such that the slope of one inch per foot is not obtainable, the sidewalk area of the driveway may be lowered sufficiently to obtain the allowable ramp slope, and the sidewalk may be warped up to meet the normal sidewalk grade, at a rate of slope not to exceed 3/8 inch per foot.
C.
Where a drainage ditch or swale exists, adequate pipe shall be installed under the driveway, by the permittee, in accordance with Borough specifications. Minimum diameter of such drainage pipe shall be 15 inches unless otherwise specified by the authorized Borough representative. Under no circumstances shall the diameter of such drainage pipe be less than 12 inches.
All driveways, adjacent areas and areas between such driveways, including channelization, paving, drainage, etc., installed by the permittee shall be maintained by the property owner in such a manner as not to interfere or be inconsistent with the design, maintenance and drainage of the Borough highway or the safe and convenient passage of traffic upon the Borough highway. The term "adjacent area" shall apply only to that area within the permittee's property or property line extended.
A.
Work authorized by a highway occupancy permit for construction of an access driveway shall be performed at such time and in such a manner as to conform to all requirements and standards specified therein. Such work will be inspected by a representative of the Borough of Economy immediately upon receipt of the completion notice from the permittee or at date of expiration of the permit, which shall be one year from date of issue.
B.
If an inspection of the work discloses that it is not being or has not been properly performed, the permittee will be notified, in writing, by the Borough of Economy to take immediate steps, at his own expense, toward placing the work in such condition as to conform to said requirements and standards. Proper distribution of the completion report to be made immediately following the inspection.
[Amended 2-10-1987 by Ord. No. 274]
Any person violating any provision or regulation of this Article shall, upon conviction thereof before any District Justice, be fined a sum not exceeding $300 and, upon any default of payment of such fine, may be committed to imprisonment in the Beaver County Jail for a period not exceeding 90 days. Each day that a violation is permitted to exist by such person after notice in writing shall have been served upon him by the authorized representative of the Borough shall constitute an additional, separate offense.