(A) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to standardize, regulate and control the location, size, type, construction, maintenance and quantity of driveway access to town streets to provide safe and efficient entry to and exit from town streets to private property, safety of vehicular traffic in the streets, and safety of pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk area.
(B) Permit required. It shall be unlawful for any person either as owner, agent, servant, contractor or employee to install or cause to have installed any driveway, or any vehicular access, on any public right-of-way in the town without a permit. Permits shall be issued only after payment of prescribed fees and compliance with town regulations. At the time the permit application is made, the town shall be advised of any parking meters, traffic or street signs, signal poles, streetlight poles, fire hydrants, trees or obstructions that will be affected by the placement or removal of the driveway or sidewalk.
(C) Accessibility study.
(1) If any proposed site development will generate 200 or more vehicle trips per day, a traffic accessibility study shall be required before any developmental permit is issued. A vehicular trip is defined as a one-way journey of a motorized vehicle. If the study indicates a need for the installation of traffic-control devices to regulate traffic flow generated by the facility, such traffic-control devices shall be installed at the expense of the owner of the facility.
(2) The study shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) Estimated number of vehicular trips per day;
(b) Location of approaches;
(c) Circulation and channelization patterns;
(d) Location and type of traffic-control devices;
(e) Pedestrian systems;
(f) Bicycle systems;
(g) Projected turning movements; and
(h) Impact on surrounding existing street intersections.
(D) Fees. Permit, inspection and service fees shall be charged by the town as prescribed by ordinance.
(E) Town to furnish inspector. The town may furnish an inspector to inspect every piece of curb, driveway and driveway apron to be constructed, whose duties shall be to review the forms for alignment, grade and materials and to see that the work is done in accordance with the specifications of the town at the time of the issuance of the permit. The town shall be given at least two workdays to make an inspection.
(F) Allowable driveway widths.
(1) In single-family residential zoned districts, the maximum driveway width shall be 24 feet or the width of the garage to which it leads, whichever is greater, and shall be located in accordance with town specifications. For lots or lots with more than 25 feet of frontage, the total combined width of all driveways shall not exceed 50% of the frontage of that lot or lot. The minimum distance between driveways serving the same lot or lot shall be 25 feet.
(2) In multi-family zoned districts, the maximum driveway width shall not exceed 24 feet and shall be located in accordance with town specifications. The minimum distance between driveways shall be 25 feet, except in the case where two driveways serve side-by-side duplex units, in such instances, a minimum six-foot separation distance is required between the two driveways.
(3) In all commercial zoned districts, the maximum driveway width shall be 30 feet except driveway widths for service stations may be up to 40 feet when approved by the town and shall be located in accordance with town specifications.
(G) General regulations. Every driveway apron constructed or altered in the street right-of-way shall conform to the following regulations.
(1) No driveway apron shall be constructed closer than ten feet to the side property line.
(2) No driveway apron shall be closer than five feet to, nor shall it be so located as to interfere with, intersecting sidewalks, utility facilities, light standards, fire hydrants, catch basins, street signs, signals or other public improvements or installations.
(3) Any necessary adjustments to utility facilities, light standards, fire hydrants, catch basins, street signs, signals, underground conduits for street lighting or fire alarm systems, or other public improvements or installations shall be accomplished without cost to the town.
(4) No driveway shall be closer than 20 feet to the intersection of town streets except along arterial streets or streets intersecting an arterial at a signalized intersection where at the driveway shall be 100 feet from the corner. The location of driveways for lots or lots along arterial streets having less than 100 feet of frontage shall be approved by the town.
(5) No driveway shall be located so as to create a hazard to pedestrians or motorists, or to invite or compel illegal or unsafe traffic movements.
(6) In any commercial zone, driveways shall be designed such that vehicles entering, or egressing, shall not be required to back from or into a street right-of-way.
(7) The contractor or his or her agent doing the construction or alteration work shall maintain the premises in a safe manner and shall provide adequate barricades and lights at his or her or own expense to protect the safety of the public using the adjacent streets or sidewalks, and shall hold the town harmless from any damages incurred by his or her operations.
(8) The angle between any driveway apron and the street shall be 90 degrees to the street tangent or on a radial line to the street curve.
(9) A permit for the construction of a driveway shall not be issued unless vehicles which will use the driveway can be parked entirely within the private property lines.
(H) Driveways serving facilities that will generate 200 or more vehicle trips per day may be classified and constructed as a street intersection. A complete design of the intersection shall be submitted to the town before a permit is issued. Approval of this type entrance may be contingent upon the applicant installing traffic-control devices at his or her sole expense. This type of entrance shall be included in calculating number, spacing or any other requirement pertaining to driveways as specified herein.
(I) Restrictions. In addition to the general regulations prescribed herein, driveway aprons to be constructed or altered shall conform to the following:
(1) Where a property abuts more than one street, the maximum number of driveways permitted on each street shall be considered separately and shall be governed by the frontage of the property on that street; and
(2) A joint driveway between adjacent lots may be constructed at a maximum width of 28 feet. Both property owners must be in agreement to a joint driveway and shall submit a written agreement to the town.
(Prior Code, § 9.05.120) Penalty, see § 10.99