CHAPTER 907
Driveways
Driveways
907.01 Construction regulations.
907.02 Owner’s responsibility for driveways and aprons.
907.03 Criteria for driveway inspections.
907.04 Material specifications for concrete installations.
907.99 Penalty.
CROSS REFERENCES
Inspection of work - see S.U. & P.S. Ch. 901
Sidewalk construction - see S.U. & P.S. Ch. 905
Improvement requirements - see P. & Z. 1107.03(a)
907.01 CONSTRUCTION REGULATIONS.
No person shall construct any driveway, private road or other form of access to existing roads or streets within the Municipality, except in compliance with the following regulations.
(a) Whenever any driveway, private road or other form of access is constructed to connect to any existing road or street within the Municipality, there shall be provided as a part of such construction suitable drainage facilities by means of corrugated pipe or equal facility to the satisfaction of the Engineer.
(b) The drainage pipe shall be of a minimum size of twelve inches in diameter, shall be installed in the existing road ditch at approximately the center line thereof and along the center line under and across the entire width of the driveway, private road or other form of access and shall extend a distance of at least two feet beyond each side of the access facility.
(c) The flow line of such drainage facility shall correspond to the existing flow line of the ditch and the grade thereof shall be such as is determined by the Engineer or the Building Commissioner.
(d) The Engineer is further authorized to require the installation of drainage facility pipe in excess of twelve inches in diameter or to permit the installation of such pipe of less than twelve inches in diameter when, in his judgment, the additional capacity is necessary or such lesser capacity is adequate to provide suitable drainage. (Ord. 1955-17. Passed 2-15-55.)
907.02 OWNER’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR DRIVEWAYS AND APRONS.
(a) Every owner, occupant, person or agent having charge of any tenement, building, lot or land fronting on any avenue, street, alley, road or other public highway of the City is charged with the maintenance and repair of driveways and driveway aprons or parts thereof within the limits of the City, and such owner, occupant, person or agent shall be liable in money damage to any person who, while in the lawful use of such driveway, driveway apron or parts thereof, or such avenue, street, alley, road or other public highway, sustains an injury to the person or damage to the property by reason of the failure of such owner, occupant, person or agent in charge to maintain the driveway or driveway apron in good repair and free from any effect, and as further provided in Section 1181.07.
(b) If, by reason of the failure of such owner, occupant, person or agent in charge, as referred to in subsection (a) above, to maintain the driveway and driveway apron in good repair and free from any defect, a claim is made or a money judgment obtained against the City by any person sustaining injury or damage for failure to repair or maintain a sidewalk free of any defect, the owner, occupant, person or agent in charge shall be liable to and reimburse the City for all money paid by the City on any claim or judgment obtained against the City by any person injured or damaged by reason thereof.
(Ord. 96-113. Passed 5-21-96.)
907.03 CRITERIA FOR DRIVEWAY INSPECTIONS.
The inspection of driveways or portions thereof within the City shall be conducted based upon the following criteria for repair or replacement:
(a) Height differential between portions of driveway of one-half inch (½”) or more.
(b) Multiple cracks in block creating three (3) or more pieces. Entire block replacement is required with no saw cuts smaller than five foot by five foot (5' x 5'). All edges to be butted to new concrete shall be saw cut.
(c) Abrupt dip or raised area having two and three quarter inches (2 3/4") or more from a straight line grade within a ten foot (10') distance.
(d) Loose, cracked, spalled, scaled or deteriorated surface over fifty percent (50%) or more of surface area.
(e) Gaps or missing areas exceeding a three-quarter inch (3/4") wide or more crack.
(f) Loose, rocking or missing areas.
(g) Blocks having cross slopes reverse from intended slope and causing impounding of mud or water.
(h) Surface too smooth, or slippery when set and/or dry, such as smooth steel plate or smooth steel troweled concrete.
(i) Water, gas or other valve boxes and cleanouts, etc. that are not to proper grade.
(Ord. 2004-113. Passed 7-20-04.)
The following material specifications shall apply for concrete driveway aprons, patios or other slab on grade installations:
(a) Cement. The cement used in concrete shall be Portland cement, a well-known brand, and shall be subject to testing as required by the Director of Public Service, Building Commissioner or City Engineer in accordance with Standard Methods of Sampling and Testing of the American Society for Testing Materials.
(b) Grading. Excavation of subgrade shall include removal of all earth, loam, shale, rock, roots, briars and undergrowth. All spongy material shall be removed. Fills are to be made with gravel or other material acceptable to the Director of Public Service, Building Commissioner or City Engineer.
(c) Forms. Concrete shall be thoroughly mixed before being deposited in clean steel or wooden forms adequately braced to prevent distorting from the specified dimensions. All forms shall be of a size sufficient to produce a driveway or apron of a minimum thickness as required in Section 1377.09(l) of the Housing Code.
(d) Placing Concrete.
(1) The concrete shall be thoroughly tamped and consolidated so that none of the stone appears on the surface. The forms must be kept clean and shall be coated with suitable oil before filling with concrete.
(2) Foundation beds shall be sprinkled immediately prior to depositing the concrete.
(3) Concrete when mixed shall be rapidly deposited in the forms and any concrete not in final position within thirty minutes after completion of the mixing shall be discarded. Under no circumstances shall concrete be used that has partially set and the remixing of such materials is prohibited. The concrete shall be deposited between bulkheads of a uniform thickness and to the full depth and width; irregular or sloping surfaces shall be avoided. The concrete, after being placed, shall be thoroughly compacted and brought to the proper pitch and grade with templet or straight edge.
(4) Immediately prior to the finishing of the surface, the concrete shall be cut into slabs not longer than ten feet on any one side. The joints shall be cut through the full thickness and the opening so made shall be filled with clean, dry sand, well rammed into place. The joints shall be formed by a cutting tool or other means satisfactory to the Director of Public Service, Building Commissioner or City Engineer. The markings in the surface at these joints shall not be more than one-fourth of an inch deep. All edges shall be rounded with an approved edging tool to a radius of one-fourth of an inch.
(e) Surface Finish. The finish shall immediately follow the placing and compaction of the concrete. Unless otherwise ordered by the Director of Public Service, Building Commissioner or City Engineer, a finish produced by rubbing with wood floats with a uniform texture shall be required. The surface shall be free from depressions or inequalities. The application of dry cement to hasten drying of the surface is prohibited.
(f) Curing and Protecting. In rainy weather, the concrete shall be protected as soon as it is finished. In hot or dry weather, the contractor shall keep the concrete wet. Sprinkling shall begin as soon as the concrete is set sufficiently to prevent pitting and shall be continued at such intervals as weather conditions may require or the Director of Public Service, Building Commissioner or City Engineer may direct.
(g) Expansion Joints. Prepared strips of bitumen and fiber or mineral aggregate shall be placed in concrete at intervals of at least 20 feet, also at ends where the concrete abuts curbing or other lateral walks and along the building line where the concrete is laid full width from the curb to the building or other structures. Similar joints shall be placed around water meter covers, gas boxes, hydrants, lamp standards or other fixed objects projecting through the concrete. All strips shall be one-fourth of an inch in thickness, except for transverse joints when the temperature is below 70o Fahrenheit, in which event the strips shall be one-half of an inch in thickness. The top of the strip shall be cut off flush with the top of the concrete.
(Ord. 2006-197. Passed 10-3-06.)
907.99 PENALTY.
Whoever violates any of the provisions of this chapter or fails to comply therewith is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. Each day such violation occurs or continues shall constitute a separate offense. Nothing herein shall prevent the City from taking such other lawful action as is necessary to prevent or remedy any violation.
(Ord. 2006-197. Passed 10-3-06.)