It shall be unlawful for any person to cut, lower or remove any curb or curbing, or portion thereof, on a paved street or roadway in the city; provided that the City Engineer may approve lowering, cutting or removing any curb or curbing upon the application of the owner of the abutting property for driveway purposes, if the lowering, cutting or removal will not interfere with proper drainage. Construction of any driveway shall require and be subject to the conditions and approval of the City Engineer.
(A) Cost of construction. The owner of the property served by the driveway approach shall pay all costs for constructing the approach; required turn lanes; pavement widening, median construction or reconstruction, alterations of manholes, storm sewer inlets, water valve or fire hydrants; relocation of power poles or light poles and alterations of any other public utilities affected by the construction of the driveway approach.
(B) Location.
(1) Intersection clearance. No driveway shall be constructed within 25 feet of any intersection, measured from the property corner to the end of the return radius or taper.
(2) Property line offset. None of the driveway approach, including the return radius or taper, will be permitted to extend beyond the side property boundary extended without written permission from the adjacent property owner.
(3) Driveway separation. The minimum distance between residential driveway radius or taper shall be 5 feet and the minimum distance between commercial driveway radius or taper shall be 20 feet.
(C) Driveway approach grades. The driveway approach surface shall meet the sidewalk at sidewalk grade. The sidewalk grade shall be established by the City Engineering Department. Normal sidewalk cross-slope through the driveway approach shall be 2%. Where the walk abuts the curb (curb sidewalk), the cross-slope shall not exceed 8%.
(D) Driveway widths.
(1) For residential single frontage lots, curb or curbing shall not be lowered, cut or removed for a distance greater than 40 feet, measured at the throat of the driveway.
(2) For residential corner lots having frontage along 2 streets, such curb or curbing may be lowered, cut or removed for a total distance of 40 feet, measured at the throat of the driveway, on the streets on which the property abuts. Such total distance to be allocated to the front street and/or to the side street as the owner and application may elect.
(3) For commercial property having frontage of less than 400 feet along any street, driveway widths, measured at the throat of the driveway, shall not exceed 15% of the frontage.
(4) For commercial property having frontage of less than 200 feet along any street, driveway widths, measured at the throat of the driveway, shall not exceed 20% of the frontage.
(5) For commercial property having frontage of less than 100 feet along any street, driveway widths, measured at the throat of the driveway, shall not exceed 30% of the frontage.
(E) Driveway return radius.
(1) For residential driveways the return radius or taper shall be from 2.5 feet to 5 feet.
(2) For commercial driveways the return radius or taper shall be from 15 feet to 25 feet.