No owner of property or contractor hired by such owner shall construct, resurface or rebuild a driveway or roadway connecting land with a Town highway without first obtaining a permit from the First Selectman of the Town.
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Norfolk 5-9-1983. Amendments noted where applicable]
Application for such permit may be made by either the owner of the property over which such roadway is to be constructed, resurfaced or rebuilt or his duly authorized contractor for that purpose.
Approval of such application and issuance of a permit for such work shall be based on consideration of the following factors:
A.
Sight line for vehicles entering the highway from such driveway, as well as for vehicles traveling in either direction on the adjoining highway.
B.
Proper planning and construction to facilitate drainage in a manner that is compatible with drainage on the adjoining highway and will not deposit loose earth or other debris on the Town highway.
C.
Necessity for appropriate use of existing culverts or installation of such new culverts as may be required as a result of the proposed project.
D.
Provision for a roadway of appropriate width to accommodate the traffic contemplated thereon.
E.
Grade of the new construction, such as to assure that the provisions for appropriate drainage discharge may be accommodated on the side of the Town highway nearer the construction.
F.
A paved surface where deemed necessary to prevent discharge of stones, earth or other debris onto the highway.
Application for permits shall be approved or disapproved within 15 days after the date of submission. All expenses connected with the project shall be borne by the property owner on whose behalf the application is filed.
After the issuance of a permit, it may be surrendered for good cause shown and the project terminated, provided that the land adjacent to the Town highway is restored to its condition prior to the commencement of the work.
A certificate of approval shall be issued by the First Selectman, upon satisfactory completion of the work in accordance with the terms of the permit, within one year of the date of the permit. Any use of a road not in compliance with this chapter or the permit issued hereunder shall be deemed a violation of the chapter.
Any person, partnership or corporation undertaking to construct a driveway or roadway intersecting with a Town highway without obtaining the appropriate permit or in violation of the conditions incorporated in the permit issued or who has failed to complete the work pursuant to a permit issued within one year of the date of such permit shall be considered in violation of this chapter. If, after six months, necessary corrections to the work have not been made, the Selectmen may enter the property to complete the work and shall collect the costs from the property owner.
Any person, partnership or corporation violating the provisions of this chapter or the terms of the permit issued hereunder shall be fined a sum not in excess of $100.