For the safety of the general public, the Village of Baldwin
shall determine the location, size, construction and number of access
points to public roadways within the Village limits. It is the Village's
intent to provide safe access to properties abutting public roadways
suitable for the property to be developed to its highest and best
use, provided that access is not deficient or dangerous to the general
public.
The location, design and construction of driveways shall be
in accordance with the following:
A. General design. Private driveways shall be of such width and so located
that all of such driveways and their appurtenances are within the
limits of the frontage abutting the street of the property served.
All portions of driveways are to be a hard surface within one year
of construction. The portion of the driveway within the street right-of-way
shall be concrete when sidewalks are present and/or when there is
a public improvement project. Driveways shall not provide direct ingress
or egress to or from any street intersection area and shall not encroach
upon or occupy areas of the street right-of-way required for effective
traffic control or for street signs or signals. A driveway shall be
so located and constructed that vehicles approaching or using it shall
have adequate sight distance along the street. Driveway approaches
shall be at least 10 feet apart except by special permission from
the Village Board, and driveways shall in all cases be placed wherever
possible so as not to interfere with utilities in place.
[Amended 1-12-2022]
B. Number. The number of driveways to serve an individual property fronting
on a street shall be one, except where deemed necessary and feasible
by the Village Board for reasonable and adequate service to the property,
considering the safety, convenience and utility of the street.
C. Island area. The island area in the street right-of-way between successive driveways or adjoining a driveway and between the highway shoulder and right-of-way shall constitute a restricted area and may be filled in and graded only as provided in Subsection
F.
D. Drainage. The surface of the driveway connecting with rural type
street cross sections shall slope downward and away from the highway
shoulder a sufficient distance to preclude ordinary surface water
drainage flowing onto the street roadbed.
E. Reconstruction of sidewalks and curb and gutter. When the construction of a driveway requires the removal of a curb or gutter the new connections shall be of equivalent acceptable material and curb returns shall be provided or restored in a neat, workmanlike manner. The driveway surface shall be connected with the street pavement and the sidewalk, if any, in a neat, workmanlike manner. The driveway apron from the street and/or curb to the lot line shall be concrete. The driveway construction shall include the replacement of such sidewalk areas which are inadequate or which are or may be damaged by means of vehicle travel across the sidewalk. Reconstructed or new sidewalks across driveways shall meet the construction standards of §
510-4.
[Amended 1-12-2022]
F. Restricted areas. The restricted area between successive driveways
may be filled in and graded only when the following requirements are
complied with:
(1) The filling or draining shall be to grades approved by the Village
and, except where highway drainage is by means of curb and gutter,
water drainage of the area shall be directed away from the street
roadbed in a suitable manner.
(2) Culvert extensions under the restricted area shall be of the same
size and of equivalent acceptable material as the culvert under the
driveway. Intermediate manholes adequate for cleanout purposes may
be required where the total culvert length is excessive.
(3) Where no street side ditch separates the restricted area from the
street roadbed, permanent provision may be required to separate the
area from the street roadbed to prevent its use for driveway or parking
purposes by construction of a border, curb, rail or posts as may be
required by the Village Board.
G. Relocation of utilities. Any costs of relocating public utilities
shall be the responsibility of the property owner with approval of
the Village Board or authorized committee thereof necessary before
any utility may be relocated and the driveway installed.
H. Construction across sidewalks. All driveway entrances and approaches which are constructed across sidewalks shall be of concrete constructed in accordance with the requirements for sidewalk construction in §
510-4 of this Code insofar as such requirements are applicable, including thickness requirements.
I. Variances. Any of the above requirements may be varied by the Village
Board in such instances where the peculiar nature of the property
or the design of the street may make the rigid adherence to the above
requirements impossible or impractical.
The following regulations are applicable to driveways serving
commercial or industrial establishments:
A. Width of drive. No part of a private driveway located within the
dedicated area of a public street shall, except as hereinafter provided,
have a width greater than 35 feet measured at the outer or street
edge of the driveway. In instances where the nature of the commercial
or industrial activity or the physical characteristics of the land
would require a driveway of greater width than herein specified, the
Village Board in its discretion may permit a driveway of additional
width.
B. Angular placement of driveway. The angle between the center line
of the driveway and the curbline shall not be less than 45°.
C. Island areas. Where the public sidewalk is adjacent to the curb,
an island of a minimum length of six feet measured along the curbline
shall be placed between each entrance to a Village street. The curb
shall be left intact for the length of this island. Where the public
sidewalk is remote from the curb, an island of a minimum length of
10 feet measured along the right-of-way line shall be maintained along
each entrance to the Village street. All flares shall be tangent to
the curbline. A curb length of not less than three feet shall be left
undisturbed adjacent to each property line to serve as an island area
in the event an adjoining property owner applies for a driveway permit
to serve his/her property.
The following regulations are applicable to driveways serving
residential property:
A. Width of driveways. Openings for vehicular ingress and egress shall
be at least 10 feet wide at the property line for residential properties,
but shall not exceed 24 feet measured at the outer or street edge
of the driveway.
B. Angular placement. The center line of the drive may be parallel to
the property line of the lot where access is required or at right
angles to the curbline.
Any person feeling himself/herself aggrieved by the refusal
of the Zoning Administrator to issue a permit for a private driveway
may appeal such refusal to the Village Board within 20 days after
such refusal to issue such permit is made.